


Mika Part Two

by Manga_bird



Series: Mika [2]
Category: Ghost Hunt
Genre: F/M, Romance, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-02
Packaged: 2018-05-24 08:16:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 62,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6147397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manga_bird/pseuds/Manga_bird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Updated for 2015.</p>
<p>The SPR team is closer to unravelling and solving the ghost problem in Fai's mansion, but the question is will the ghosts let them complete their mission? Or do they have plans of their own?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

"What were you doing up stairs Fai?" John asked curiously as they stood by the front door with Lin, waiting for Mai and the others. They had agreed to meet up and drive out together to gather their belongings, opting to stay in the mansion for the remainder of the case. Fai, who had been gazing out at the melting snow with a far off look in his eyes, glanced up in surprise.

"Hm? Oh that. I just thought I should give Mai some space." The young nobleman replied innocently, at which John looked at him suspiciously. When Mai had run out of the room John had noticed her knock Fai aside, and when he'd looked again the blonde noble had disappeared. He'd automatically assumed that Fai had gone after Mai to comfort her, but when he'd found the noble he was in the first floor library.

"You knew that Naru would go after her, didn't you?" The Australian accused suspiciously, receiving an innocent look in return. Despite the innocent look John could tell the noble was a little put out by his own kindness; it wasn't hard to see that the noble carried a torch for Mai.

"I don't know what you mean." Fai replied modestly as he flicked his blonde bangs out of his crystal eyes, seeming to cheer himself up as he looked over John's shoulder. "In any case, they're back now so you can be on your way. I'm sure you'll want to get some more clothes and supplies before returning." He added as the kitchen door opened and Monk-san entered, followed shortly by Mai and Naru. John glanced over his shoulder with a welcoming smile as he slipped his coat on.

"Yes. I should be back within an hour." John replied as he buttoned the chequered brown coat, tugging the collar down neatly as he turned to the newcomers. "How about you Monk-san?" John asked as he looked up at the older man, who was already wearing his khaki coat from earlier when he'd gone out into the gardens to find Naru.

"Me? Oh; I shouldn't be more than three hours. I'm stopping Lin-san's first, and then we'll head over to my house before coming back." He replied as he scratched his head absently, his blue eyes looking up at the ceiling distractedly. He grumbled something about stopping for petrol as he turned to the tall Chinese man, who nodded his agreement before adding that he might need to stop by the office. John wasn't going particularly far; he was just going to walk into town to visit the local church.

"Well, then we'll all be back here by five O'clock at the latest." Naru stated as he pulled on his black coat and walked to the door, followed by Mai, who pulled her coat on as she went. The rest of the group followed, Fai opting to accompany John into the on foot since he had little else to do, and it seemed a good time to gather a few supplies. "Mai, we'll stop at yours first and I'll drop you off." The ebony haired teen decided as she climbed into the van, the door closing behind her before she could respond. Mai waited for Naru to climb in the driver's side before she argued.

"Naru, I'm not staying out of this. If you take me home I'll just walk back." She replied stubbornly, ignoring his glare as she looked out of the window, waving as John and Fai set off on the long walk down the snowy driveway. "Although I don't know that I'd make it before it got dark…and it looks like it might snow again." She added as she raised her eyed to the cloudy sky. Naru took a deep calming breath as he turned on the engine.

"Mai, you promised me; at the first sign of trouble." He began as she pulled her coat off in the growing heat, hot air pumping from the heater in front of her filling the small cabin of the van. It seemed that she wasn't the only one affected as Naru tugged the buttons of his coat loose and let it slide off his shoulders.

"I know, but you're in trouble too, so I'll stay and keep an eye on you." She replied warmly, looking across at the stoic boy beside her, his cobalt eyes shifting from the road for a moment to glance at her. He sighed lightly, biting his lower lip as he considered how to word his response.

"Considering what happened earlier that might not be the best idea…" Naru replied bitterly, unable to look at Mai as he brought up his earlier possession. The worst part was that he couldn't remember it in detail; the presence had gripped his consciousness and locked him away. He remembered going into the room, and then the crushing power of the presence as it forced its way into his mind, and the thoughts it had shared about Mai, or Mika as he called her, and then there was blackness. He'd managed to force his way out, but he couldn't hold off. _If Monk-san hadn't come in that moment…_ He gasped as he felt Mai's hand on his knee, his grip on the steering wheel tightening until his knuckles were white.

"It's okay; it wasn't your fault, so try not to feel guilty about it…" She said comfortingly before blushing and looking out of the window, releasing his knee. He stole a glance at her as he drove and took in her appearance. She looked different somehow as she sat there. She was more mature, her head leaning elegantly on her hand, her elbow supported on the window and her legs crossed, causing her skirt to ride up her thighs. _Or has she always been like this and I just haven't noticed it before?_

"But I…I don't want you to get hurt." He argued awkwardly, keeping his eyes on the road as he spoke, feeling her give him an affectionate look. He chewed the inside of his cheek almost nervously; he was no good at talking like this. He just didn't do the sharing feelings thing. _I always left that sort of thing to my brother…_

"I'll be fine…It's nice of you to worry though." Mai replied with a smile before looking back out of the window. _If I didn't know better I'd say Naru was blushing._ Mai thought in amusement as she looked at his reflection in the window. Since Naru had quieted down Mai's thoughts returned to earlier. _I wonder what it was down the well…_ _Could it have been my imagination? Maybe, but I'm so sure that I saw something…but Naru would never let me go back to check it out my self…I'll just have to sneak out somehow…_ _It could be important_ _; in fact I'm sure it is!_ She thought with certainty, absently listening to the news on the radio.

" ** _Well, as far as we know it was a_** ** _four-by-four that skidded off the road in the blizzard and_** ** _collided with an_** ** _eighteen wheeler, forcing it over the_** ** _safety barrier and_** ** _down into the gully. The driver was a middle-aged man, but so far the police have not given any other details. We would like to remind everyone that there is another blizzard on the way, so please don't go out if you don't have to. The authorities would like to avoid any more unfortunate accidents._** " The reporter said imploringly before moving on to introduce the next song. Mai sighed in pity as she thought about the broadcast. _That poor man, I feel sorry for his family_ _, especially this close to Christmas; it's just so terrible…_

"Alright, here we are." Naru said as he pulled up outside Mai's house. "Do you need any help?" He asked as Mai hopped out, the icy breeze enveloping her as her booted feet hit the ground. She held off a shiver as she grabbed her coat and wrapped it round her shoulders, the snow crunching beneath her feet as she stepped back.

"Sure; you can keep me company. My dad won't be home for hours." Mai replied as she closed the door, waiting for Naru before walking up to the front door and unlocking it. Once inside she abandoned her coat and boots, the house feeling quite cold since the heating wasn't on. It felt like it hadn't been on all night. "Are you coming up?" Mai asked as she went to the bottom of the stairs and looked over her shoulder as Naru slipped out of his shoes and left his coat on top of hers.

"Sure." He replied shortly as she bounded up the stairs, her skirt rising and falling with each step, almost revealing her underwear. The older teen averted his eyes for the most part, but couldn't help the occasional glance at her pale legs. Mai walked to her room and went inside oblivious to the blue gaze periodically caressing her pale skin. _Where did I put that case?_ She wondered as she knelt down and looked under the bed, where she could see a small black case big enough to carry a weeks worth of clothes. "You shouldn't need too much; there is a washing machine." Naru pointed out as if answering her thoughts.

"Okay; this should do then." She decided as she pulled the small case out and put it on the bed. It was on wheels, the type of case airhostesses use when they fly to a country and stay for the night before coming back; it was also the bag that Mai used for her hand luggage on planes. Mai left the case open on the bed and went to her drawers, doing the underwear first, and being quick about it because Naru was watching her every move. She then walked to her wardrobe and opened it, looking at all of her skirts and trousers thoughtfully. _I'll take one pair of chords in case we go out in the snow again and two skirts…but which ones?_ She wondered as she pulled a pair of light brown chords from the hanger and looked at the skirts. She jerked as an arm reached over her shoulder and pulled one black pleated skirt and a brown chequered one that almost matched John's coat.

"These will do." He decided as he looked down at Mai's surprised expression as she eyed his choices. "I've always thought you look nice in this one." He added as he held up the chequered skirt. _Why did I know that Naru would choose something black?_ She wondered in amusement as she eyed the black pleated skirt. _I've never even worn this one…I guess I should get some use out of it though._ She added as she took the skirts and pulled them off the hangers, letting them clatter to the floor as she hurried to her case. She hurried to her drawers and opened them, eyeing the piles of neatly folded tops. _Well; this black top will go with that skirt…_ She thought as she picked up the sleeveless roll neck and looked back in the drawer. _Ah, this beige would look nice with the chequered skirt._ She added as she picked up a long sleeved top. "You might want a jumper or two; oh, and don't forget nightwear." Naru reminded her from the wardrobe, where he had picked up the discarded hangers and replaced them on the rail.

"Right." She replied as she grabbed a thick white tracksuit top and looked at her nightclothes, pulling some blue silk pyjamas out of the drawer. "Now what else…Oh!" She yelped as she hopped to her night stand and picked up her pills, quickly swallowing one before putting the rest of the packet in the case and zipping it shut, turning to see Naru looking a little uncomfortable. _That's strange…_ _He wasn't so tense a minute ago…_ She thought as she picked up her case, relieved that she had only missed one pill.

"I'll take it." Naru offered as he stepped forward and took the case from her hand without giving her the chance to argue. Mai let him take the case, her heart skipping a beat as their hands touched lightly. Mai stole a glance up at Naru to see him looking down at her, both of them looking away quickly when they caught each other's eye. She could feel her cheeks burn as she remembered the feel of his lips against hers, wondering why it suddenly felt so awkward.

"W-we'd better be going." Mai said quickly, turning away to hide her blush. _Why am I so nervous? We've already kissed, so what is there to worry about?_ She wondered as she looked around her room, her eyes lingering on her bed as a few impish thoughts entered her mind as she glanced sideways at Naru, who was looking down at her. _No! Bad Mai-chan! What are you thinking?_ She thought in embarrassment.

"You're right; let's go." Naru replied quickly as he saw Mai's gaze flick from the bed to him, her light blush making it obvious what she was thinking about. As she jerked out of her thoughts he smirked and walked to the door, holding back from making any comments.

"Uh; r-right." She stammered quickly as she followed him, her gaze travelling up and down his back, mostly watching his lower half. _God he's gorgeous…_ She thought distractedly as they reached the bottom of the stairs, where Naru pulled the door open and walked out with Mai close behind. "So, I guess I finally get to see your house now huh?" She said cheerfully as they walked to the van. Mai climbed in and heard Naru open the back doors to put her case in before climbing up beside her. She couldn't wait to see where he and Lin lived. She was sure she could picture it already; there was sure to be a lot of black, and he would have research books all neatly stacked on various book shelves. There may even be a few supernatural ornaments belonging to Lin scattered around.

"It's just a small apartment; there's nothing to be excited about." He replied as he started the engine and pulled off the curb, wondering what the girl beside him was thinking. Whatever she thought his home might be like, he was sure she would be disappointed once they arrived. Mai sighed as she stretched, groaning as she leaned forward on the dashboard with folded arms. "Tired?" Naru asked teasingly as Mai pushed herself back.

"No." She replied stubbornly as she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, hearing Naru's soft chuckle as she relaxed and sighed again.

 

* * *

 

"Mai." Naru's voice called softly. Mai sighed as she opened her eyes and found herself lying down on the grass in a sunny garden, nothing but blue sky and lightly swaying treetops above her head. _What? I was just…_ _Damn! I fell asleep again!_ She thought as she got to her feet and brushed herself off, though there wasn't really any dirt on her skirt. _He'll never let me hear the end of it!_ She added as she looked at Naru, who stood beside her patiently.

"We're…in Fai's garden again aren't we?" She said as she looked around, seeing the familiar well standing in the spring clearing. As she stepped closer to the well she heard a muffled cry and deep grunts, her body freezing as she rested her weight on her back foot. _This is where we left off last time! I don't want to see this! Let me out! Let me wake up!_ She thought in a flurry as she turned away, feeling Naru grab her from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder gently, his strong presence enveloping her securely.

"You have to see this through Mai. You're the only one who can help." He purred in a comforting but apologetic tone, his arms and voice somehow calming her as he caressed her arms. "You don't have to watch it…You can go round when he's…finished." The older teen added as he massaged her shoulders gently. Mai took a shaky breath and stepped forward stiffly, wobbly legs carrying her round the well until she could see them. Mika was pinned to the ground, her kimono already ripped open to reveal her pale skin, and Tohru was above her, thrusting into her roughly as he kissed and licked her neck, leaving numerous dark red marks on her porcelain skin. Mai bit her lip and stepped back into Naru's chest.

"No! Tohru! Pease stop!" Mika cried helplessly as tears streamed down her cheeks making her eyes red. The man above her had released her hands, which pushed uselessly at his clothed shoulders, the black haori bunching in her hands as she tried to throw him off. Tohru groaned angrily as he leaned over her, snarling in her face as he held his weight on one hand.

"You think you're too good for me? Is that it? You whore!" He shouted in rage, slapping her face hard. Mika's head snapped to the side with its force as she sobbed, the pain in her face nothing compared to the pain between her legs. Tohru shifted again, the pain pulling another cry from her abused lips as she turned her face to the side, a red mark marring her cheek where his hand had struck.

"Tohru! Stop!" She begged as she tried to push him back, sobbing loudly as he moved his hips forward again, grinding them roughly into hers. The man above her grimaced slightly, either from the sensation or her expression, Mai wasn't sure.

"Why? Don't you like it? Doesn't it feel good?" He asked as he pulled back and pushed into her again, his head moving down to kiss the hollow of her throat again. One hand supported his upper body as he leaned down, the other caressing Mika's cheek and running down her throat almost lovingly.

"No Tohru! I want you to stop!" Mika cried as she tried again to throw him off, but the weight pressing down on her body was too strong and she could only move him a few inches from her chest before she collapsed back to the grass in exhaustion. "Eishi! Eishi! Help me! Please!" She shouted as she tilted her head up towards the path leading to the mansion, crying as Tohru bit down on her neck roughly until it bled.

"Shut up!" He hissed venomously, licking the trail blood and sighing as he savoured the taste. His expression was bitter as he buried his face in Mika's throat. "Why do you call for Eishi? You have me. I love you. Eishi doesn't." He continued in a purring voice as he nuzzled her throat. "You know he only married you for the money…The daughter of a General…that's quite a lot of money you inherit, isn't it Mika?" He added, not really asking for confirmation since they both knew that it was.

"Of all the things! How low can you stoop Tohru? I do not believe your lies! I know Eishi loves me! And if you truly loved me you would not be doing this!" She replied hysterically as he continued to thrust into her, gritting her teeth against the pleasure he was trying to force on her, focusing only on the pain. It wasn't that hard; he was so rough that she felt like she was being torn in two.

"But I do love you Mika; that's why I am trying to save you…to show you…" He replied quietly as he breathed in her light scent, licking the salty tears from her cheeks and making a shudder run through her body as she lay there.

"I hate you Tohru." She replied darkly as she turned her face away.

"No you don't." He replied gently as he kissed her cheek affectionately.

"I do. I will never love you! You rapist!" She hissed, letting the hatred show in her eyes as he came inside her, the woman shuddering in disgust at the feeling. He pulled out of her and looked down at her, his fists shaking in anger until he finally let it overcome him. Mai gasped in horror as he got up and kicked Mika repeatedly anywhere he could reach; her face, her stomach, her chest, her legs.

"No…Stop…You'll kill her…Stop!" Mai cried as she watched, feeling her stomach turn as the blood began to flow from new cuts while Mika's pale skin turned blue in places and the sound of cracking bones was cutting across Mika's pained moans. _I have to help her! I can't just…watch this…_ She cried inwardly as her horror struck body quivered, feeling Naru's arms tighten around her as she stepped forward.

"There is nothing you can do." He empathised as tears filled her eyes and flowed down her cheeks. She watched Tohru step back gasping, looking down at Mika's broken body with a manic grin, his dark eyes wide as his brow twitched. He looked like he'd gone mad. Mai looked at the bleeding corpse and felt her stomach heave. She covered her mouth and ran to the edge of the trees where she bent over and choked as she vomited, feeling a gentle hand rubbing her back and holding the loose hair away from her face. _Oh god he killed her! He beat her to death and I watched him do it!_ She cried inwardly as her throat burned from the acid in her throat. "Mai." Naru said gently. Mai looked over her shoulder and he pointed to the well, where Tohru had lifted Mika's body. _What's he going to do now? Hide her in the forest somewhere? Fai did say that her body was never recovered…_ _Maybe I should go to the clearing and see if I can feel anything…_


	2. Chapter Two

"Mai! Are you alright? Wake up!" Naru's voice half shouted as he shook her shoulders. Mai opened her eyes slowly and looked around, feeling disoriented and dizzy. She was lying on something soft and warm, and something was covering her body. "No; don't sit up yet." Naru soothed gently as he placed a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder to hold her down. "How are you feeling?" He asked worriedly as he looked down at her in concern. Mai looked up as his face came into focus and then turned her head, finding herself in a warm room. She raised a hand to rub her eyes tiredly and noticed a thick black duvet covered her, and her head was resting on two black pillows. As she looked around she noticed, gratefully, that the walls were white. The room was quite plain, though there was a large bookshelf full of psychic research books and a neatly kept desk in the corner. _Is this…Naru's room?_ She wondered as she looked around and then at the duvet that she clutched in her hand. _I'm in Naru's bed!_ She realised, blushing as she looked up at him.

"Um…Why am I?" She asked shyly as she looked up at a concerned Naru, who touched her forehead gently, measuring her temperature. She didn't feel too hot, so she definitely didn't have a fever. Mai flushed as he continued to run his eyes over her pale skin, the hand on her forehead slipping down to caress her cheek lightly.

"When we arrived you were shaking and crying, but I couldn't wake you up so I carried you in here. You were sick in your sleep, but you don't seem to have a fever." He replied thoughtfully as he took his hand away. "It wasn't…something you saw, was it?" He pressed as she sat up slowly, the dream resurfacing in her mind.

"Oh…" She murmured as she looked down, remembering Tohru's manic face as he beat Mika, the blood soaking the grass and splattering across the side of the well. She remembered the sound of slapping skin, cracking bones and Mika's cries. She raised her hand to her mouth as the nausea rose again. _I can't believe he did that and I couldn't do anything!_ She thought guiltily as tears slid down her cheeks. She felt strong arms wrap round her and clutched the front of Naru's shirt, crying into his chest as she would in her dreams. "He beat her! He raped her and beat her to death, and I couldn't do anything! There was so much blood…I couldn't stand it." She cried as Naru rubbed her back.

"It's okay…You didn't ruin anything expensive." He replied in his usual neutral tone, stunning the girl in his arms to silence. He smiled slightly as she slapped his chest. When he looked down at her she smiled back at him, tears still running down her cheeks. She couldn't believe he'd chosen that moment to joke, but perhaps it was due to his timing that she could smile at all.

"That was cold…but I am sorry I threw up in your house." She replied apologetically as she noticed she was wearing something black. _A black shirt? Why am I wearing this?_ She wondered as she looked at the sleeves, which were too long for her arms and almost covered the tips of her fingers. Her cheeks turned red as she realised he must have changed her. _This is Naru's…_

"It's not your fault; don't be so hard on yourself." He almost sighed as he laid her back on the bed. "You rest there a while I pack." He added as he released her and got to his feet. Mai pulled the blankets up and inhaled lightly, breathing in Naru's familiar scent. His duvet smelled of the same light cologne he always wore that complemented his natural scent so nicely and made Mai feel slightly light headed. She turned on her side and watched as he pulled black clothes from his wardrobe and draws. _I wonder why he only wears black…_ _He isn't…in mourning is he?_ She wondered sadly, hoping that he wasn't carrying something so painful by himself. She watched as he pulled out a black turtleneck top and looked at it. _He wore that the day he fell down the well with me._ She thought fondly as he glanced at her, smiling slightly when she blushed. She watched as he lowered the top back towards the draw.

"Naru? You should take that one along…It looks good on you…" She suggested almost shyly as she peered over the top of the duvet. Naru paused in surprise, his expression softening slightly as he looked at the young girl, looking more childlike than usual as she peered at him, only her eyes visible as she held the duvet over the lower half of her face.

"Alright, but if I fall down another well in this top I'm blaming you." He replied with a smirk as he put the top in his case, which was almost identical to Mai's. _He remembered…_ Mai thought, the thought making her stomach flutter lightly as her cheeks flushed. It wasn't a detail she'd expected him to recall.

"It wasn't my fault! The ladder broke!" Mai replied defensively as she curled up on her side guiltily as she remembered that Naru had collapsed soon after they were rescued and had been taken to hospital. It was her fault that he'd fallen; if she'd just let go of his hand then…

"I know. I chose to grab you before you fell, and I also chose not to let go." He replied as he turned his back and rummaged through his drawers, not letting her see the slight pink of his cheeks as he confessed that little detail. Mai's eyes widened as she thought about what he'd said.

"What? But you said I was the one who didn't let go of you!" She accused as she looked up, scowling as she glared at his back. She watched as he tugged another shirt from its hanger and folded it neatly, his hands surprisingly nimble as he worked. He seemed oblivious to her gaze as he continued.

"Well, it was a mixture of both…You didn't let go of me, but I didn't let go of you either." He replied offhandedly. _So all this time he's been making me feel guilty and it's partly his fault…_ _He's such a jerk sometimes._ She thought fondly as he knelt down and closed the case, his blue eyes shifting towards her. "What?" He asked as he caught her staring.

"N-nothing!" She replied quickly, her face turning red as she slipped lower beneath the black duvet. _That'll teach you to stare openly Mai-chan! Behave yourself!_ She scolded inwardly, raising her head as she thought of something. "Hey; Naru? Why am I wearing one of your shirts?" She asked as she slowly sat up, the duvet falling to her waist in the process.

"Well, I did tell you you were sick. Most of it went on your top so I had to wash it." Naru replied as he got to his feet and set the case on its wheels. "Unfortunately I don't have a tumble dryer, so it's on the clothes horse down the hall." He added as she blushed. _That's right_ _; I never_ _really thought about how I got into the shirt! Naru's seen me half naked! But then, he has seen me like that before…_ She thought in embarrassment as she recalled his fingers caressing the bruised skin of her back the night before.

"Thank you." She said quietly, her cheeks slightly pink as she looked at her lap, pulling her knees up beneath the covers.

"Now that you're awake do you want a drink? I'll get you one while you use the bathroom." He decided as he pointed to a door connected to his bedroom. Mai climbed out of the bed and looked down at herself; the shirt completely covered her skirt so she looked like she was wearing just a shirt and white knee high socks. _Wow, this is an embarrassing new look._ She thought as she blushed, warmth swelling in her chest. _I don't know why, but it seems kind of…kinky…_ _Must be the socks._ She decided as she walked to the bathroom. As she looked in the mirror she realised that Naru must have cleaned her up when he'd changed her because there was no evidence left to show that she had been sick at all. She quickly splashed her face with water and used a wet flannel to wipe her chest quickly, blushing at the thought of Naru wiping her chest gently with the same cloth. _That's as far as you go Mai-chan!_ She scolded as her mind wandered towards more inappropriate thoughts. She wandered back into the bedroom and lay on the bed, sighing as she closed her eyes. "If you throw up again I'm not cleaning it up." Naru warned mockingly as he sat down beside her. Mai's eyes snapped open and she sat up, gasping as she almost head butted Naru in her haste, the older teen leaning back in surprise.

"I'm sorry!" She exclaimed as she drew back. "You surprised me." She added sheepishly as Naru held out a steaming cup of tea to her. "Thank you." She said as she took the cup and sipped the hot liquid carefully, feeling the acidic taste at the back of her throat recede as she drank. She hadn't even noticed the taste until the tea had washed it away.

"So, did you see anything useful?" Naru pressed lightly as he raised his own cup to his lips and drank, looking at Mai inquiringly over the top. Mai watched the steam rise from Naru's cup and drift up over his forehead, his head tilting slightly as she didn't respond.

"No, not yet…but I'm getting closer." She replied as the silence stretched, only half lying. _I should tell him my theory…but I want to go and check it out first. I might learn something_ _more useful._ She thought, looking down at her cup rather than at Naru. She wasn't surprised that it was English tea; it was Naru's favourite type of tea. She often wondered where he'd gotten a taste for it. "Have Lin-san and Monk-san been here yet?" She asked, changing the subject before Naru could ask more questions.

"I'm not sure. Lin and I don't live in the same apartment exactly. He has the room next door, and he also has a key to this room, so to say we live together isn't exactly accurate, but it's not inaccurate either. He spends a lot of time here, and I spend a lot of time there too." He replied as he leaned forward to put his empty cup on the small bedside table where Mai's soon joined it. _God, he's so close! I could actually just lean forward and kiss him…but maybe earlier was just a one off…_ _Maybe he really doesn't like me…_ _Maybe I shouldn't…_ She thought as she looked at Naru, who was sitting beside her legs with his body twisted towards her, his blue eyes fixed on her brown. She bit her lip hesitantly as they looked at each other, silence falling as Naru waited, knowing instinctively that she had something to say. "N-Naru…About earlier…when we were by the well…Was it just a spur of the moment thing? I mean, I don't mind if it was…Never mind." She added quickly as she looked down and blushed, suddenly unsure she wanted to know the answer to that question. _Mai! Why can't you just keep your mouth shut?_ She scolded, her eyes widening slightly as a gentle hand lifted her chin and Naru pressed his lips against hers softly, her stomach fluttering as she breathed in his scent.

"I don't make a habit of seducing women if that's what you mean…" He purred as he leaned his head on her shoulder, his warm breath tickling her ear as his arms wrapped round her and he kissed her neck gently, smirking as she moaned lightly. Her hands caressed his shoulders gently as her chest pressed into his instinctively, his arms pulling her closer at the contact. Naru leaned forward and laid her back on the bed gently, stretching his body over hers as he continued his assault on her pale throat, gently opening the first few buttons of the shirt. He felt her body stiffen slightly and nuzzled her cheek assuringly. "Don't worry; I don't think either of us are ready to go that far." He whispered softly, feeling her relax slowly as she raised a hand to touch his chest through his shirt, her fingers running lightly across the toned skin, making Naru shiver lightly at her innocent touch. He leaned down and kissed her lips gently, slipping his tongue into her mouth where it tangled with hers as his hands moved to hold hers. Mai broke off and gasped as Naru entwined their fingers and pinned her to the bed playfully, smirking as she tried to pull away.

"Um…Naru?" She stammered nervously as she looked up at him vulnerably, her head tilting slightly as her hazel eyes peered up at him.

"Hm?" He hummed questioningly as he leaned down and kissed her neck, feeling her squirm beneath him slightly. "What? Do you like that?" He pried slyly as he kissed her neck again in the same place, feeling her squirm a little more as he lingered there. Seeing that his lips did that much, Naru dragged his tongue over the area before leaning down to nip it with his teeth.

"Naru!" Mai moaned as he kissed her neck again. _God he's good…_ _How many women has he been with?_ She wondered suddenly, feeling a slight twinge in her chest as she thought of herself as another number on a long list. _And let's face it Mai, with his looks that would be a pretty long list…_ She thought, the boy above her feeling the change in her mood. _Why do my thoughts always interrupt me?_

"What is it?" Naru asked as he pulled back slightly, having felt that she had stopped squirming and her face seemed slightly troubled by something. She looked up at him with a blush and shook her head.

"It's nothing…I was just thinking." She replied as she looked away, unsure she really wanted to share those thoughts. It was a rather shallow thing to think after all, that since Naru was so attractive that he must have had a lot of girlfriends and lovers. Despite that she couldn't help thinking about it.

"About what?" He asked as he leaned sideways to look at her face again, his grip on her hands loosening. Mai looked up at him hesitantly, wondering if it was really alright to ask about that sort of thing.

"H-how many…No, forget it!" She decided quickly as she turned away, but Naru cupped her cheek gently with his hand and pulled her face back to him. Mai bit her lip as she looked up at him, feeling his thumb caressing her cheek gently as he cupped her cheek with a firm hand.

"What?" He asked again, noticing her sudden discomfort.

"How many women have you…been with?" She asked hesitantly, seeing his eyebrows rise in surprise. Naru sat back on the bed as he contemplated the question, Mai pushing herself up into a sitting position as she watched him.

"Been with?" He asked in confusion, unsure exactly what she meant by it.

"You know…done this sort of thing with." She replied in embarrassment. _This has to be the most awkward conversation I've ever had!_ She thought, her own eyes widening as Naru blushed slightly, turning away to try and hide it. He didn't suppose it was really anything to be embarrassed about, but for some reason he couldn't help the pink rising to his cheeks.

"Actually…you're the first." He confessed awkwardly, looking back as Mai straightened in disbelief. With his looks she had thought he would have at the very least three or four girls on his list, if not more considering his mostly indifferent personality. If you didn't look past his icy exterior it was easy to miss the warmth inside.

"What? But then…How do you know where to…" She trailed off as she blushed, Naru's gaze softening slightly as he admired her flushed skin.

"Judging by how you reacted I guessed you liked it, so I just carried on." He replied as he leaned a little closer to her, seeing her colour darken at their closeness. "How about you?" He teased lightly, only a little surprised as she shook her head in response.

"I haven't either…" She confirmed, and Naru was surprised to find that he actually felt a little satisfaction at that knowledge, though he'd never really thought that she was more experienced. She got embarrassed over small things so easily that it was almost impossible to think that she could have been so intimate with another person before.

"Well then, looks like we're both beginners." He sighed as he leaned back to her throat, gasping as he felt himself being pushed over and found Mai on top of him, her fingers working shyly at the top buttons of his shirt to expose his neck and collarbone, her movements hesitant and uncertain as she blushed at her own forwardness. Mai leaned down hesitantly and slowly kissed from his jaw line to his neck, nipping lightly at the soft skin where his neck met his shoulder. She heard him groan lightly and kissed the area again before working her way slowly around his delicate collarbone, hearing a slightly louder groan once she reached the other side of his throat, where she lingered a while, kissing and licking the skin gently as his hands rose up her back and slid beneath her shirt to caress the skin there gently. Mai leaned up and kissed his lips gently, slipping her tongue into his mouth, exploring it hesitantly; forcing a groan from his lips, his hips rising into hers. She blushed as she felt his erection dig into her thigh.

"That's not your wallet is it?" She said nervously as her cheeks reddened. She saw Naru smirking as he sat up and Mai straddled his hips, kneeling on the bed as his face rose to hers, his arms still wrapped around her slim waist. The red of her cheeks deepened as she realised what position she was in, feeling his crotch brush hers as he shifted beneath her.

"I keep my wallet in my back pocket." He replied as he kissed her lips gently. _I know I saw him naked earlier, but I really didn't look at the time…_ _It feels big…really big…_ She thought nervously as Naru smirked at her seductively, making her blush even more. "I didn't think it possible for a human to turn that shade of red." Naru mocked, feeling her slap his arm roughly. "Violent aren't we? Come on; we should get back." He sighed as he looked at his watch over her shoulder. Mai nodded in agreement, her throat feeling very dry suddenly as she climbed off Naru and onto the floor, where she slipped her shoes on, unable to look at Naru as he got to his feet. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to upset you." He added as he got up and ran a hand through his messed up hair.

"N-no! You didn't do anything." She stammered in response, blushing again as she turned away from him, trying to ignore the warm feeling between her legs and the urge to push him back on the bed and pick up where they left off. She felt Naru's arms wrap round her and felt his lips on her neck again, his chest pressing firmly against her back.

"It's alright… I told you; neither of us are ready for that yet." He assured gently as he let his hands trail up and down her waist, his fingers lightly massaging her hips. "Come on…We should go." He added as he pulled away and lifted his suitcase. Mai ran her fingers through her hair and followed him out of his bedroom, though the small living area and into the corridor outside, where there were three other rooms; two opposite and one next door.

"Well-well; fancy meeting you here!" Monk-san greeted as he leaned round Lin's door with a smirk. "You know, when we were in Lin-san's room I'm sure I heard some strange noises coming from your place Naru…I hope you two haven't been up to anything…improper." He teased, backing into Lin's apartment as Naru glared, knowing for a fact that they hadn't been that loud, and that noise didn't carry that well through the dividing walls.

"Oh! I'm sorry, that was probably me. I was sick a while ago, that's what you must have heard…hence the shirt." Mai replied obliviously as she held up her arm, which was drowning in Naru's shirt sleeve, watching as Monk-san's expression changed from gleeful to worried as he reached out and put a brotherly hand on her forehead gently.

"I'm sorry; are you alright? Do you want to go home and lie down?" The monk asked as he fussed over her. Mai smiled and stepped back, fixing her hair quickly as she did so.

"Oh no; I'm fine now…Must have been something I ate." She replied brightly as Naru closed the door behind them. "Anyway, we'll meet you back at Fai's mansion." She added quickly as Naru headed for the stairs at the end of the hall. Mai followed Naru down the stairs and out through the main door into a fairly nice part of town, about fifteen minutes away from the SPR offices. She turned and looked up at the five-storey apartment block. _Wow; these are a lot shorter than most…The rooms must be quite expensive too._ She thought as she followed Naru to the van and climbed in. "Hey, we should hurry back; I don't like the look of that sky." Mai said as Naru buckled his seatbelt and joined her in looking up at the almost black clouds.

"Agreed." He replied as he started the engine and turned the headlights on in the quickly dimming light. Mai looked around and saw Monk-san's car parked on the opposite side of the road.

"I hope they make it before the snow starts." She said worriedly as Naru pulled away from the apartments.

"I'm sure Monk-san is more than capable." He replied distracted, the majority of his attention taken up by the road as he eased the van away from the curb. "And he has Lin with him." He added, at which Mai nodded reassuringly.

"You're right. Monk-san may be a little 'childish' sometimes, but he's not irresponsible, and Lin-san will keep him in line." She agreed, "How about John? Do you think he'll be back yet?" She asked as they drove through the empty streets. _It feels so strange to have no other cars on the road, and there's not even one person in the street._ She thought as she shivered, but she was sitting on her coat, so she waited for the heat to start coming from the radiator. Naru glanced at her as she rubbed her arms and turned the heat up.

"Well, John said he'd be back within an hour, so he should have been back just over two hours ago." He replied as they reached a main highway, which was clear of cars. _Wow; people really must have listened to that report earlier._ She thought as she sat back comfortably and looked out of the window as the snow began to fall again. "Damn; this is going to be bad." Naru said as he sat up a little more in his seat and concentrated more on the road. After a short while the snow was a blizzard, almost completely blocking their view of the road. Naru had slowed the car down to only fifteen miles per hour and both of them were peering out, trying to see through the snow.

"Maybe we should stop for a while." Mai suggested as they turned a corner slowly.

"No. If we stop we'll be stuck all night, maybe longer. This doesn't look like it's going to stop. I just hope Monk-san and Lin decided to stop at the apartment." He replied. Mai nodded in agreement as she peered forward.


	3. Chapter Three

"Ah! Isn't that the gate to Fai's?" She asked as she pointed ahead where Naru could just make out some cast iron gates. He pulled up to them and stopped, leaving the engine running as he laid a hand on the door handle. "I'll go to the intercom." Mai decided as she opened the door and hopped out before Naru could argue. She shivered as her feet touched the ground and the drifts of snow surrounded her, almost blinding her. She stumbled over to the silver box and pressed the button, finding it difficult to breathe through the wind.

" _Hello?_ " A voice greeted at the other end.

"John? Is that you? It's Mai! Can you open the gate?" She shouted over the roaring wind, barely able to hear the softly spoken Australian over the wind.

" _Mai? Of course! Hold on a minute…Okay, you're all clear._ " John replied, the sound of creaking metal filling her ears as the gates slowly opened. Mai ran back to the van and closed the door, shivering and rubbing her bare thighs.

"Idiot! You should have let me go." Naru chided as he started forwards through the gates, barely able to make out the driveway. Mai poked her tongue out at him and went back to shivering, too cold to argue about it. "You should be cold more often. I could get used to the quiet." He added, smirking as she slapped his arm, but not removing his gaze from the snowy road.

"Not funny!" She stated firmly with a childish pout, ignoring Naru's smirk as he drove up the driveway to the house, where John and Fai were waiting at the door. As they parked John hopped down the steps to the back of the van, where Naru met him. Mai hopped out, grabbing her coat before she closed the door and ran up the steps into the house where she stood shivering, hopping up and down as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"Cold?" Fai asked with a smile as he handed her a thick blanket, which Mai took gratefully and wrapped around her shoulders, the handsome blonde's eyes filling with warmth as he watched her. The older boy wrapped an arm around her bundled shoulders and rubbed her upper arm through the blanket.

"Freezing; thank you." Mai shivered as Naru and John entered the house, where they dropped the cases by the door before Fai handed them each a blanket. "Don't ask." Mai cut off as John looked at her and opened his mouth to speak, the honey haired girl tugging the white blanket tighter around her black clad shoulders.

"She's had a bit of a rough day." Naru added in explanation as Fai led them towards the living room, his own blanket almost trailing along the floor like a deep red cloak as he walked.

"I hope it wasn't too traumatic." Fai said in mild concern as he looked over his shoulder worriedly. Mai felt her cheeks heat a little as she caught the older boy's eye, his lip rising slightly as he caught her flush.

"No, I'm fine." She replied quickly, not wanting to worry him.

"Good. I'll get you a warm drink…hot chocolate?" Fai suggested as the group sat down, Mai and Naru on a sofa and John in a chair with his legs curled up beneath him. Mai watched as the priest tugged his white blanket around his body, covering his legs too.

"That sounds nice, thank you." Mai replied brightly, looking forward to a hot drink to warm her up. Despite the fact that they were inside now she was still cold, like a block of ice had formed in her chest.

"Is that alright with everyone else?" Fai asked as Mai shivered beneath her blanket, receiving nods from both men. "I'll be right back." The blonde added as he left the room, cloak trailing as before.

"Do you need help?" John asked as he made to get up, thinking it rude to leave their host alone.

"Not at all! You stay where you are." Fai replied insistently as Mai pulled her legs up onto the sofa and shifted slightly closer to Naru, who subtly put his arm round her back and let her lean on his shoulder slightly. _Why are we being so secretive? I feel like a schoolgirl…well I am a schoolgirl, but it's almost like we're doing something wrong and trying not to get caught..._ She thought in amusement as she ran a hand down Naru's thigh, pulling it back as John turned his head and holding her breath to keep from laughing. She felt Naru shift and looked up at him to see him smirking down at her.

"That was childish." He whispered as he leaned down to her ear, giving it a quick nip as John turned away again. Mai smirked and checked on John, who had lifted a book from the arm of the chair and opened it, his eyes moving slowly across the page. She looked back at Naru and gently stroked his chest, letting her hand move down his stomach and just past the belt of his trousers when she felt his body stiffen slightly, she then pulled her hand back and checked on John, who was still lost in his book. As she looked back at Naru he leaned forward and kissed her, moving the hand from her back up to her neck to hold her there. He tilted her head back slightly as he leaned in further, deepening the kissed as his tongue entered her mouth, pulling back quickly as the door opened and Fai walked in, leaving Mai in a daze.

"Mai; are you alright?" Fai asked as he leaned down with a tray, four steaming cups perfectly balanced in the blonde's steady hands, despite his concerned gaze being fixed on Mai.

"Yes…Just a little tired…I might have an early night tonight." She added, mentally kicking herself as she realised the connotation. _Don't say that! It sounds suggestive! Well…I suppose it is a little…_ She thought as she glance at Naru, who was hiding his smirk behind his cup as he looked at Mai, who quickly looked down at her cup to hide her blush.

"Taking me to bed early are you?" He mocked quietly, chuckling lightly as her body stiffened and her face reddened. _Why is he always mocking and taunting me? What if Fai and John catch on?_ She thought worriedly before pausing thoughtfully. _Why does it matter if they do?_

"Oh Mai; I heard from Masako. She's still out of town, but she said she'd try and make it back in time for the ball on Saturday, and Ayako called to let us know she'll be back some time later in the week and she'll also be at the ball if we don't see her before." John reported with a smile as he held his cup between his hands, leaving the book on the arm of the chair. He knew that the honey haired girl had been concerned about their missing friends. _It's so thoughtful of him to put me at ease like that…but that's John._

"That's great! You can ask Masako to dance with you." She added brightly, seeing the priest's small blush as he lowered his head in resignation.

"No…She wouldn't want to…" He replied with a sad look in his eyes, though really Mai thought he was being modest and selling himself short.

"Why not? You're a really nice guy John…If she won't, I will." She replied cheerfully, seeing John's mood lift. He appreciated the kind gesture. "And I bet there will be other girls coming who will want to dance with you too." She added almost teasingly, watching the pink rise to John's cheeks at the thought. As a priest, interacting with young women wasn't something he had any experience in, and it wasn't an area he was supposed to need experience in either.

"Yes; I have quite a few associates with daughters, and my cousins too." Fai chipped in, watching the blonde priest stammer in objection. "I also have many male cousins that I'm sure will like you Mai." Fai added, smiling as Mai blushed. It was strange to imagine herself as the object of male attention; generally she considered herself to be quite plain.

"Was there any activity while we were away?" Naru asked, changing the subject quickly, which didn't go unnoticed by Mai. The ebony haired boy ignored her questioning gaze as he settled back, shrouded in a brown blanket with his white mug.

"No; maybe John's exorcism weakened the spirit?" Fai suggested as he took a seat in another arm chair, elegantly tucking the blanket around his arms as he cradled his steaming cup.

"It is possible, but it doesn't always happen that way…My guess is that it didn't react because Mai wasn't in the house, and the only ones here were Fai and myself." John replied logically. It made sense; the fight between the spirits seemed to be over this Mika character, so if the only link to Mika was missing from the house then there was no reason for the spirit to act.

"I agree." Naru replied thoughtfully. "But if the spirit is connected to Mai then why did the activity start before we arrived?" He wondered aloud, something not adding up for him. He could understand the spirit mistaking Mai for Mika; she was the spitting image of her, but why all the others?

"Oh! I've just had a thought. I remember reading about an incident at a high school just before all this started actually; it was where I heard about your organisation…What was it called?" Fai wondered aloud as he leaned forwards and looked into his cup thoughtfully, the warm steam caressing his pale cheeks as it rose. Mai glanced at Naru, who wore a calm expression as he looked at Fai.

"Was it Ryokuryou High School?" He asked. At this Fai looked up and nodded his recognition.

"Yes; that was it. I remember; there was a picture of the school and I saw Mai in it. One of my maids also read it and commented on how much she looked like Mika…The next day is when these incidents began to occur. I'm sorry…I should have thought of this before, but I just didn't think." Fai apologised as he looked guiltily at Mai, who gave him a warm smile that brought pink to his cheeks.

"It's alright; you didn't know." She replied assuringly.

"Fai. Was it also about this time that you began to have blank spots in your mind?" Naru asked expectantly, quite confident that his guess was correct.

"Now that you mention it yes; I would often go to bed and find myself standing in the corridor, or be in the kitchen one minute and in the living room the next. I thought it was just my memory playing tricks on me, or at least, that's what I'd hoped, but why?" Fai replied edgily as Naru got to his feet and placed his cup on the table before walking around the room. Mai could almost see Naru's brain working, slotting the pieces of the puzzle together as he paced.

"You are being possessed by one of the spirits in this house. That is why all of these blank spots in your memory have occurred." Naru replied deductively, though he'd suspected as much for a while. "Now that we know this Mai, it might be safer for you to leave. The spirit is after you." The ebony haired boy continued as he stopped in front of Mai and looked down at her, his oceanic eyes almost pleading with her.

"Even if I could leave you know that I wouldn't. Besides, the spirit attacked you too." She argued, knowing that it wasn't as simple as the spirit just being after her. Naru's eyes closed in resignation as a small sigh escaped his lips. He'd known her answer before he'd voiced his thoughts. She was even more stubborn than him sometimes.

"Alright, but only because right now I have no other choice. John; be ready to perform an exorcism at any time…I really don't like not having Lin and Monk-san here, it leaves us more or less defenceless…We'll have to hope that the spirit is still too weak to act for now..." Naru decided warily as he looked between John and Mai, who shared his worry. John was a good exorcist, but it was always safer having backup, not to mention the emotional support. Monk-san was a bright presence and always cheered them up, blocking out the darker thoughts of the group, while Lin's calm focused nature put them all at ease, even in perilous situations. Without the other men there the atmosphere had dropped somewhat.

" _Hey! Is anyone there?_ " Monk-san's voice shouted from a speaker in the hall, his voice almost drowned out by the crackling sound of the wind. John got to his feet and ran into the hall, closely followed by Fai. Mai took that time to sidle closer to Naru and lean on him slightly, but the older teen was clearly distracted.

"What's going on here? What is he searching for?" Naru wondered aloud as he leaned forward. His elbows rested on his knees, his chin balanced on his laced fingers as his cobalt eyes gazed at the darkened windows distractedly.

"The answer to that is clear, isn't it? Mika. He's searching for Mika." Mai replied simply, surprised as Naru shook his head. He kept his vacant gaze on the window as he replied, clearly deep in thought.

"No, not Eishi. Tohru. What is he searching for? Why is he here?" Naru replied distractedly, the stiffness in his shoulders telling Mai he was getting annoyed. He was always like that when he couldn't figure things out.

"What? But I thought that all of the men attacked looked like Tohru. Why would Tohru attack people that looked like him? Surely he would attack men like Fai." She argued as she looked up at Naru's contemplative face. As far as she could tell Eishi was the only one they had encountered so far on the case. It made sense. He had possessed Fai to attack someone he perceived to be Tohru, and he'd tried to be intimate with Mai because she looked so much like Mika.

"True, but Eishi wouldn't have raped or harassed all of those women; remember he loved Mika above all others. If she'd told him to stop, like you did, he would have stopped." Naru replied confidently, at which Mai nodded in agreement and looked at the darkened window herself, barely able to see the flurry of snowflakes as they drifted by the window. _He's right, but in that case why did Tohru come back? He killed Mika and Eishi; surely there's nothing here for him…unless…_

"Naru; could he have come back to stop us?" Mai asked.

"No…but he might have come back to stop Eishi. If Eishi finds Mika then it's over; Eishi has won. Tohru can't let that happen." Naru replied in a rush as his thoughts unfolded, finally tearing his gaze away from the window to look at Mai.

"So all we have to do is find Mika and reunite her with Eishi, and it'll all be over?" Mai asked hopefully as she looked at Naru eagerly, his gaze dropping slightly as he leaned back into the softness of the sofa.

"I don't know…It would lay Eishi's soul to rest, and Mika's, but as for Tohru's I can't say." He replied thoughtfully. Mai sighed in disappointment,

"At least it we can help two of them." She thought aloud as she looked out of the window, but it was no longer completely dark. There was a figure made of light silhouetted in the glass, looking at her in contempt. A figure dressed in black. Mai clutched Naru's sleeve fearfully as she looked at it, the figure slowly becoming more focused as she stared at it.

"Mai?" Naru questioned attentively as he took her hand, his grip firm and assuring. He knew Mai; he didn't need to ask to know that she was feeling or seeing something. He also knew her well enough to know when she was afraid. She felt his grip tighten on her hand.

"He's here! He's coming! Tohru…" She gasped fearfully as the figure began walking towards her, Naru holding her hand firmly as he watched her push herself back into the sofa. "Rin-pyou-tou-sha-kai-jin-retsu-zai-zen!" Mai cried as she moved her free hand in vertical and horizontal lines. The dark figure paused and looked at her, his eyes darkening in fury as her incantation blocked his movement forward. Mai looked at him in determination and began the process again. "Rin-pyou-tou-sha-kai-jin-retsu-zai-zen!" She shouted, watching in relief as the figure faded away, admitting defeat for now.

"Mai! Are you alright?" Naru asked as she slumped on him, her shoulder landing against his toned chest as he wrapped his arms around her securely. Mai looked up tiredly to see his concerned blue eyes staring back at her, the concern laced into his features for a change.

"I'm fine…just relieved." She replied quietly, not feeling particularly inclined to remove herself from Naru's arms. "I guess that ward Ayako taught me finally came in handy." She added with a weak smile, taking the time to inhale Naru's luscious scent as she turned her face towards his chest.

"Ayako would be proud." Naru complimented gently as he helped Mai to sit up, his arms slowly drawing back until he was resting his hands on her shoulders. The honey haired girl sighed lightly as she sat back, enjoying the lightness of Naru's touch on her shoulders.

"What happened?" Monk-san asked as he burst through the door, casting his hazel eyes around the room warily.

"It was Tohru, but he's gone now." Mai replied as she looked up at the monk, who was still casting his eye around the room. Finally satisfied, the older man let out an almost amused breath as he leaned over the sofa and ruffled Mai's short locks.

"Don't tell me you finally did something right." Monk-san teased proudly, receiving a light punch to the stomach from Mai as he flopped down next to her, giving her his usual Cheshire cat grin.

"I guess I just panicked and used Ayako's incantation in reflex." She replied sheepishly.

"You mean it worked?" The older man joked, Mai laughing a little in response. His teasing wasn't the same without Ayako there to react to it, and it seemed Monk-san felt the same as he leaned back with a sigh.

"Monk-san, John, Mai; tomorrow you and Fai will search the gardens for Mika. We have to find the body. Lin and I will check the books in the library and the diaries in the study's to see if we can find which spell is being used to bind Mika to her body. If we can do that then we can set her free. After that we'll only have one spirit to contend with." Naru instructed as the others assembled and took various places around the room. John and Fai returned to their previous seats while Lin moved to take a seat at the end of the sofa behind Naru.

"Yeah; one angry spirit." Monk-san added thoughtfully, troubled despite the confidence he held in the others seated around the room. "John, do you think you could purify this house?" He asked as he turned to the exorcist, who looked somewhere between thoughtful and troubled as he cradled his chin in one hand.

"I could, but that would merely displace the spirit…The best thing to do would be to bind it to something and put it somewhere no one would ever go, but that's not something that I am capable of." He replied almost apologetically, though the idea of actually committing the act turned his stomach. When it came down to it, he wasn't sure he'd want to inflict such pain on another soul, even if it was an evil soul.

"I am." Lin interrupted in his usual smooth tone. "Find something that belonged to him and I can bind his soul to it." He added confidently, the ebony haired teen beside him not even needing to look in his direction to confirm that confidence. He'd known Lin long enough to know his abilities. Naru nodded his agreement.

"This is the best course of action. We'll start with Mika and Eishi; once they're gone it may be easier to deal with Tohru, but while Eishi is attacking us we can't safely deal with Tohru." He surmised, to which he received multiple nods of agreement. "Monk-san, I want you to place wards around the bedrooms; they may not be enough to stop them, but they might slow them down." He added authoritatively. Monk-san got to his feet and pulled some charms from his back pocket.

"I'm way ahead of you." The monk replied with a wink as he left the room to place the wards.

"John, go with him. Until now the spirits haven't attacked, but when Monk-san places the wards it may provoke them into action." Naru ordered, at which John nodded his agreement and ran after Monk-san.

"I do hope no one gets hurt…" Fai said worriedly as he looked out of the darkened window, where the snow was still falling.

 

* * *

 

"Naru?" Mai whispered quietly as she lay next to him. She waited, but there was no answer; he was asleep. Slowly Mai rolled over and pulled the covers back, standing slowly so that she didn't disturb him. She looked down at Naru's peaceful form and smiled. _He looks so innocent when he's sleeping._ She thought, the teen barely stirring beneath her gentle gaze, ebony locks strewn carelessly across his closed eyes. _I'm sorry Naru, but I have to go._ She added as she tiptoed away from the bed. She pulled the door open quietly and stepped into the hall, heading for the stairs quickly and running down them to the front door, where she slipped into her shoes and pulled on her coat before heading to the back door. _That's part one over with; now for part two._ She thought warily as she opened the back door and stepped out into the cold blizzard relieved her presence hadn't stirred up any spirits in the house.

Shivering she headed in the general direction of Mika's garden, though in the snow she wasn't sure if she was going in the right direction. _I hope I can get there and back without freezing to death…Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…_ She thought as she felt her feet go numb, followed by her fingertips. _I've never known a winter so bad!_ She complained inwardly as she shivered and stumbled down the garden path, which was covered by at least five inches of snow already.

_Is that the well?_ She wondered as she peered through the flurry of snowflakes into the darkness. _It's so dark! What was I thinking coming out here without a torch!_ She scolded inwardly as she walked towards the dark shape in the distance. As she stumbled closer she saw that it was the well. _Alright! I made it!_ She thought excitedly, noting the small wooden frame was coated in a heavy layer of snow too.

As she reached the edge of the well she leaned over and looked down. The small wooden roof structure that covered the well had done a good job of keeping out the snow, but as she looked down it was so dark she couldn't see a thing. _I have to lean further!_ She thought determinedly as she leaned over the edge, her stomach resting on the rough icy stone edge.

"Hello? Is there anyone down there? Please! Answer me! Try as hard as you can! I know you're stuck, but I need your help to find you!" Mai shouted at the top of her voice into the well, knowing somehow that there was someone down there. Mai closed her eyes and concentrated on listening, listening for anything; a voice, a splash, a knock, anything at all. There was a sound, such a small sound. Mai held her breath and screwed her eyes shut, trying to listen harder.

"Help me! Please don't leave me here! Eishi!" A voice cried. It sounded so far away, but Mai could just hear it. It was a woman's voice, a voice similar to Mai's, a voice that Mai knew. _There's no mistaking it!_

"Mika! Hold on! I'll get you out! I promise!" Mai shouted, looking down into the well as if the darkness would disappear to reveal Mika standing there looking up at her, but it didn't, it remained dark. Now that they knew where Mika was it should be easy; they could climb down as soon as it was light outside. _I have to get back to tell Naru!_

"Who's there? Is it you Eishi?" The small voice asked hopefully. Mai looked down feeling a rush of pity for the woman. _Does she know she's dead?_ She wondered sympathetically. _Yes; she has to! She's been waiting for years; she knows that Eishi must be dead by now too!_ She realised as she leaned down once more, hoping that her voice would carry better than Mika's did. It was a strain to catch every word.

"No! My name is Mai! But I want to take you to Eishi! Please hold on!" Mai replied as she looked down, nothing but darkness greeting her in response.

"You're ruining my plans." A dark voice grunted in annoyance. Mai gasped and turned to see Naru, but as she looked into his eyes she knew it wasn't Naru looking at her through them. Mai raised her hands to chant her protective wards as her back connected with the well's edge, but Naru's hand shot forward and hit her chest, pushing her back over the edge of the well. _No! Naru!_ Mai cried inwardly as she fell, screaming out his name.

"Mai!" Naru cried as he grabbed her ankle. Mai felt her descent stop and looked back to see Naru leaning over gripping her ankle, _Naru? But what happened to Tohru?_ She wondered briefly as she hung there. She felt Naru trying to pull her back, but then lurch forward, her weight too much for him to bear.

"Naru let go! You'll fall in too!" She cried as she looked up, barely able to see the strain on his face through the darkness. She could feel his grip cutting off the circulation to her foot, his hand quivering against her skin. Looking up made her neck ache, blood pounding in her skull as she was upside down, with no way to right herself.

"No! I'm not going to let go!" The teen replied stubbornly, trying again to pull her back with both hands. Mai tried to find a hand hold on the old stone wall to help him, her fingers slipping and sliding on the icy cold surface. It was surprisingly smooth considering the age. Once again she felt a lurch as Naru slipped forwards.

"Naru! You can't hold me! Let go!" Mai shouted trying to move her foot to make Naru release her. In response his two handed grip tightened, her body swinging towards the hard side of the well. She muffled a grunt as her shoulder and head hit the stone, the impact hard enough to annoy her, but not to really hurt.

"Mai no! Stop!" Naru shouted as he leaned further over the edge. Mai stopped as she realised Naru was slipping, but felt his grip weakening. _Damn it Naru! Let me go! Please! I don't want you to get hurt because of me again!_ She cried inwardly. She felt Naru pull her back once more before there was a final lurch and she was falling again, but the hand on her ankle never let go as she fell. _Naru…You idiot!_


	4. Chapter Four

"Mai…Mai; wake up!" Naru's voice urged worriedly. Mai moaned as she opened her eyes and looked around groggily. She was lying in the beaming sunlight on fresh green grass on a spring day. Sitting up she saw Naru kneeling beside her, the bright white statues and colourful flowers surrounded by a circle of tress telling her where she was. Looking to the left she saw the well, the peaceful image marred by the blood stained grass where Mika's body had been. "Come on; you have to see this." Naru said directly as he pulled Mai to her feet and tugged her behind as he walked towards the well, where he jumped onto the edge, waiting for Mai to climb up beside him.

"What are we doing?" Mai asked in confusion as Naru looked into the well, the tug on her hand making it clear that the older teen wanted her to climb up beside him. Mai allowed Naru to keep a firm, supportive grip on her hand as she laid the other on the rough stone edge of the well and raised one knee to rest on the edge.

"We have to go down there." Naru replied as he pulled her arm, helping her get both knees onto the edge as he made ready to jump down the well. Mai crouched on the edge, looking down into the darkness and then up at Naru.

"Are you crazy? We'll get hurt if we…" She trailed off, her heart pounding as she remembered exactly what she had been doing before waking up on the grass. _Oh my god! Naru and I just fell down there! I have to go back!_ She thought in a panic, wondering how badly they'd been hurt in the fall. She couldn't even see the bottom on this bright sunny day; that didn't bode well for them, especially since the wells were dry now.

"Mai! You have to see this if you want to get out and solve the case." Naru insisted as he squeezed her hand supportively. Mai looked down the well and then nodded her reluctant agreement. _He's right…If this will stop Tohru then it's worth a shot…I just hope the real Naru's alright…_ She decided worriedly as she jumped into the well with Naru. The descent into the well was fast, but seemed to take a lot longer as Mai looked down to the darkness below. _Oh my god! I'm going to die! I was crazy jumping like this!_ She thought as she gripped Naru's hand as tightly as she could, too terrified to even scream.

"Don't worry! Nothing can harm you here!" Naru assured loudly over the rush of the wind in their ears, his voice echoing slightly on the stone walls. Finally they reached the bottom of the well, but rather than slamming into the ground painfully as Mai expected, her descent stopped and her feet lightly touched the frozen base of the well where the little water that remained had turned to ice. "Come on." Naru encouraged as he led her towards the wall of the well, though she didn't know what he was looking for. The well was small; it probably would have fitted five people in it, but no more. Naru examined the wall carefully, running his hands lightly over the stone until he found what he was looking for. Mai watched curiously as he pushed with all his might on one of the stones and a ragged doorway appeared. A large roughly door shaped section of wall was turning, and once it was large enough for a person to squeeze through Naru stopped. "Come on." He urged as he pulled Mai through the gap behind him. On the other side of this doorway was a long dark passageway, which gave Mai shivers as she looked down it.

"Naru, why is there a passage here?" She asked nervously as she looked around in the darkness, goose bumps prickling her skin. Naru pushed the doorway back into place before turning back to her. The passage was so dark that Mai could barely make out a thing in front of her; she could at least stand up at her full height, and so could Naru. The passage wasn't overly wide, but she could walk side by side with Naru without scraping her arms along the side.

"This used to be a sort of spillway. This tunnel will lead to a chamber, which will then have another passage leading towards the river, but that passage will have a grate over it. It was a rare thing, but this well had a door-like gap so that, should the well ever get too full, someone could be sent into it from the chamber, which would be hidden somewhere. That person would climb down a ladder into the chamber and walk to the doorway. They would inch the door open a little, only a little, before running back to the chamber and climbing the ladder as quickly as possible. The metal grate would stop that person being washed out to sea and drowned, though they would sometimes die anyway." He explained as they walked through the dark passage.

"But how would they get washed out to sea? You said they only opened the door a little bit before running back to the chamber." Mai asked, forgetting her surroundings as she became lost in the discussion, the story seeming a little unbelievable to her. The door wasn't airtight, so water should have been leaking through the edges all the time.

"Well, lots of things could happen. The man could trip on his way back and the water could catch up, he could open to door too much; but mainly it's the fact that as the door was opened the pressure of the water on the other side would force the door open faster and the water would sometimes catch up to the runner. The metal grate would stop the man being washed away so he could find the ladder and climb to safety once the water slowed." Naru replied as he led the way, their footsteps echoing lightly as they walked. Mai imagined a torrent of water suddenly erupting through the doorway and knocking them both down, cutting off their air supply and looked over her shoulder anxiously. _Come on Mai; pull yourself together! The water level was too low for that, and it was frozen!_

"Why are we down here anyway?" Mai asked as she saw the end of the tunnel up ahead, where there was a dim light flickering at the entrance to another small chamber. There was a strange noise; it sounded like chanting, but Mai didn't recognise the language at all; it didn't even sound like Lin's Chinese chants. Beside her Naru quickened his pace, making Mai jog slightly to keep up, their footsteps echoing slightly in the small tunnel.

"Because to solve the case, and get you out of here, you need to see this." Naru replied as they hurried to the entrance, where Mai gasped in horror as she looked at what Tohru was doing. Mika's still blood caked corpse had been chained to the wall and surrounded by a circle of her own blood. _Well…not exactly a circle; it's around her on the floor and then up the wall, more like…an outline._ Mai corrected as she shifted her gaze to Tohru, who had pulled dark red robes over his normal clothes and cradled a battered leather book in his hands. As Mai looked closer she realised that the robes were red because they had been repeatedly stained with blood; Mika's was still wet and fresh in places, making Mai gag and clamp her hands over her mouth to stop herself from throwing up. She could smell the copper in the closed damp air.

Looking at the book she saw there were faded bloodstains on the pages, and those pages were tattered from age and use. Mai stepped closer and looked over Tohru's shoulder. The writing, where it wasn't obscured by blood, was foreign to her. She knew a small amount of Chinese, but this was definitely nothing like any language she had ever seen. _What if Lin-san can't read this? What will we do?_ She wondered helplessly as she took in her surroundings. Tohru had put candles in a sort of semicircle that surrounded both him and Mika. At some point within the last few seconds Mika's body had started to glow slightly. Mai looked on in horror as Mika's spirit appeared and tried to escape, screaming in terror and futility as it was drawn back into the corpse, not reaching out any further than the outline of blood. Tohru threw some sort of water at Mika's body, and Mai gasped as she realised it was blood.

"He's binding her with her own blood?" Mai wondered aloud in horror,

"No Mai." Naru replied as he appeared at her side, making her jerk in surprise. _I can't believe I forgot he was here…_ She thought distractedly as she looked further around the small chamber and saw a long delicate blood-stained knife beside the small bowl that had once held the blood. Blood, Mai realised, which had leaked from a cut in Tohru's right hand, which was wrapped in a tattered piece of Mika's kimono. Tohru's chants became louder and faster as Mika's spirit screamed and thrashed as if the blood were burning her. Mai let out a small cry as the candles suddenly went out and Mika's body was still, the spirit gone, trapped within the corpse. Tohru sagged gasping on his knees; bracing himself on the ground with his hands, sweat dripping from his forehead. _Whatever he did must have used a lot of energy._ Mai thought curiously, leaning over to get a better view of the book as he closed it. As he closed the heavy volume Mai gasped, seeing a blood red bleeding skull engraved on the black leather cover.

 

* * *

 

"Mai! Mai are you alright?" Naru's voice called worriedly as he shook her shoulders, his grip firm and tight. Mai opened her eyes groggily, registering pain in her back, arms and legs as she tried to move, a small strained moan escaping her lips. "Thank god! No; lie still for a few minutes." He added as she tried to sit up, her body shaking slightly at the strained. Mai lay back obediently and sighed dazedly as she looked up at the bright circle of light above. _The well…That's right…We fell in…_ She thought slowly as her vision adjusted to the darkness, the outlines of the stone gradually coming into focus. She looked at Naru, who was sat beside her with one leg bent and the other outstretched, cradling his right arm.

"Naru, are you hurt?" Mai asked worriedly as she sat up as quickly as the pain would allow, leaning on one arm as she looked questioningly at Naru. The ebony haired teen gave her something between a smile and a grimace as he tucked his arm a little closer to his chest.

"I'll live." He replied simply, his tone barely hiding the pain in his voice.

"I'm so sorry! This is all my fault!" Mai cried as hot tears began to roll down her cheeks and her body convulsed with sobs. They could have been killed I the fall; in fact Mai didn't know how she had gotten out of it unscathed. She'd tumbled head first with Naru behind her; she could easily have broken her neck. They were lucky that the only injury was Naru's arm. _If I'd just waited until morning! Or taken Monk-san, or someone, with me!_ Naru sighed as he pulled himself across the floor towards her and put an arm round her awkwardly, holding back a grunt as small aches shot through his moving limbs.

"Mai; it's alright, don't worry. We'll get out of here somehow." He comforted awkwardly, unused to assuming this particular role. Mai gripped the front of his black turtleneck and sobbed into his chest, the ebony haired teen sighing lightly as he shifted his arm out of the way. "Hm…this is the second time you've pulled me into a well while I've been wearing this top." He teased gently, smiling slightly as he heard Mai let out a small strained laugh.

"We should get out of here." She decided finally as she sat back and wiped her eyes, grimacing at the aches in her joints. The last two times she'd fallen down holes hadn't hurt as much as this. _This one must be deeper…a lot deeper…_ She thought as she tugged up the sleeves of her coat to look at her slightly bruised arms. They weren't that bad; there were no bleeding scrapes because of the sleeves, but there were blue, black and yellow smudges on the skin where she'd hit the well's edge and the ground.

"Well, we're stuck until someone finds us…I can only hope that at least Lin will think to look here." Naru replied with a resigned sigh as he lean back on his left arm and looked up, wondering how long it would be before they really started to feel the cold down there. Mai had her coat and shoes, and he had at least put shoes on before going outside, but if they were down there for more than a few hours they could be in trouble.

"I know the way out; I saw it in my dream…and I know where she is; Mika, I know where Mika is!" Mai repeated in a rush as she got to her feet with a grunt and stumbled to the wall, examining it just as Naru had in her dream. _Now how did he find it?_ She wondered as she ran her hands over the wall, feeling the rough rock scraping beneath her hands until there was a thick gouge, which she followed round with her fingers. _This is definitely it!_ She thought as she traced the doorway, trying to remember exactly how Naru had opened it.

"Mai? What are you doing?" Naru asked in confusion as she started pushing on wall of the well, grunting as she barged her shoulder into the solid stone. "You didn't hit your head on the way down did you?" He added with a hint of concern, raising an eyebrow at her as she repeatedly threw her weight against the rock. He could tell from the muffled thud that it must hurt.

"No! I-had a-dream this is-a doorway!" She replied with utter certainty as she threw herself against the rock, feeling it give a little. _Alright! I can do this; it's not so hard._ She thought, encouraging herself as she pushed on the heavy rock, gritting her teeth as she strained against the stone. _How did the runners manage this? It must have been even harder with water in here!_

"Good job Mai!" Naru congratulated from his place on the ground. Mai turned back and wiped her brow on her sleeve feeling exhausted. She looked down at Naru and smiled in relief. She'd managed to open the doorway enough for one person to squeeze through at a time, but if they needed it open further she'd need help.

"No worries…Hey; are you okay? Can you stand?" She asked worriedly as she stepped forwards and held a hand down to Naru, who had grimaced and supressed a moan as he'd moved his legs. He took a few deep breaths as he leaned back on the wall, his blue eyes trying to hide his concern as he looked up.

"I'm not sure, I'll try." He replied honestly as he took Mai's proffered hand and used his left hand and left leg to push himself up, but he was unsteady. He was completely unable to put weight on his right leg, and clutched his right arm to his chest so that he didn't have to straighten it. "You should leave me here; I'll just slow you down." He decided as Mai pulled his left arm over her shoulder, keeping a gentle grip on his wrist as she wrapped her free arm around his waist.

"No Naru, I'll help you! I can't do this by myself!" She replied warily, finding herself suddenly on the verge of tears as she remembered what was waiting for her in the next chamber. Naru sensed her distress and sighed in defeat, the weight on her shoulder increasing as he used her to support himself.

"Alright, but I'm going to have to go slowly." He warned as he hopped towards the doorway, still leaning heavily on Mai, who was sagging under his weight. Mai stumbled slightly, her own legs feeling battered from the fall. "Sorry." Naru apologised as he looked down at her strained face, knowing that she was finding it hard, and they'd only take a few small steps.

"No problem…How did you get hurt so badly? I just felt like I'd fallen down a steep hill, but you came off so much worse, and I was falling before you. I thought you'd land on top of me for sure." She asked as they passed through the doorway, Mai leaving Naru leaning on the wall and slipping through the gap first before reaching back and trying to support the older teen as he half hopped, half stumbled through. Once on the other side Mai leaned Naru uneasily on the wall while she closed the doorway.

"I was going to fall on you. As we fell I let go of your ankle and threw my arm out to the side of the well to change my angle so that I didn't hurt you, but when my arm hit the wall it didn't work, I just hurt my arm, so I tried with my leg and twisted away from you…then I hit the ground. I woke up a few moments before you did." He replied as she left the door and returned to him, once again supporting his weight on her shoulder. Naru grunted as his leg was jostled, pain shooting up through his knee. He wasn't sure if it was broken, but it hurt. A lot.

"So it was my fault you got hurt!" Mai exclaimed guiltily as she looked up at him, her hazel eyes filling up in the darkness. Naru couldn't see her clearly, but he didn't need to. He knew that tone of voice and stopped, gritting his teeth against the pain as he turned towards her and laid his hands firmly on his shoulders.

"No, no it's not! I chose not to fall on top of you, you had nothing to do with it!" He replied firmly, squeezing her shoulders lightly as he looked down at her. Mai could just make Naru's features out as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, and she could feel the intensity of his gaze as he stared at her.

"But if I hadn't come out here then none of this would have happened!" She argued, tempted to shake him off, but she didn't want him to fall over. She settled for readjusting his arm over her shoulder so that they could keep moving, the older teen allowing her to do so.

"Well…that is true, but it doesn't matter now!" Naru assured as they limped slowly through the darkness, unable to see anything up ahead. Mai walked with one arm around Naru's waist and the other on the wall as a guide while Naru gripped her shoulder as he hopped beside her. After a stumbling along for what seemed like hours, neither of them talking, Mai's hand reached the edge of the tunnel. In her dream there had been a light to show the end of the tunnel, but those candles had long since expired.

"This is it! This is the chamber!" She sighed in relief as Naru leaned on the wall. "I'm not sure if there will be a ladder here. In my dream the ladder had been thrown down from above…I wonder why there wasn't a metal ladder built into the walls…" She wondered aloud as she walked around the wall feeling for a rope, but also very conscious of the fact she was near Mika's corpse. She took her time, tapping the stone floor lightly before putting any pressure down. She didn't want to trip over.

"I think I know; I was reading about it in a book up at the house. These wells were sometimes used for execution purposes, not legal executions either. There were chains fixed into the walls to bind the guilty. They'd be left here by the runners." Naru replied as he looked in the general direction he thought Mai's voice came from, though the echoing and her constant movement made this somewhat unpredictable. The chamber, Mai remembered, was almost hexagonal, with a few different passages leading off in different directions. One of them would lead to the river, while the others probably led to other wells in the area.

"That explains how the chains got there…" Mai muttered as she reached along the wall, now slipping her foot forward carefully so that she didn't stand on Mika's remains. Feeling something with her foot Mai gasped. _Oh my god, I'm touching a corpse!_ She thought cringingly as she felt around Mika with her foot, her hands finding the chains as she passed. Eventually she found herself back beside Naru. "There's no ladder!" She said in a panic. "How are we going to get out?" She wondered worriedly as she looked at Naru, who she knew must be feeling weak and sick with the pain. _Please don't collapse! If you have to do it then please wait until we get out of here!_ She begged inwardly as she touched the boy's shoulder, which was at her shoulder height right now since he was leaning on the wall.

"The grate…It's iron right? It might have rusted…Go and check." He ordered, his voice wavering and weak, lacking its usual authority. Mai saw his body sag slightly against the wall, his eyes drooping in the darkness.

"Naru!" Mai cried as he slid further down the wall. Mai grabbed him beneath the arms as he fell and gently lowered him to the ground where he rested with his back against the wall, his eyes half closed. "Naru! Please don't…" Mai cried, not finishing the thought as she crouched with both hands on his shoulder.

"Mai…the grate…" He urged tiredly as he leaned back, his head tilted against the wall to look up at her. Mai wiped her wet eyes and nodded her understanding.

"Right." She replied as she got to her feet and worked her ways around to the short passage leading to the grate. Once she was there she grabbed the bars and pushed them, feeling around the edges for weak points, or what she thought might be weak points. "I can't tell if it's weakened or not!" She called as she pushed and pulled the bars with all her might, feeling them give slightly. "Yes! It's working!" She cried triumphantly as she continued pushing the grate, which was about the size of the doorway, until it fell with a resounding clang. "Naru!" Mai cried as she worked her way back to him and knelt to see his eyes closed. "Naru! Please! Wake up!" She cried loudly as she shook his shoulders roughly.

"Mmm…Mai…" He groaned as his eyes edged open and he looked at her. She could tell he was unfocused as he raised his left hand to his face. _Maybe I should have brought him with me in the first place…_ Mai thought as she squeezed his shoulders gently.

"Naru…Come on; we have to go." She urged gently as she tried to pull him up, her small hands slipping beneath his arms and tugging. Naru laid his good hand on her arm and shook his head, not moving to get to his feet.

"No…Leave…You'll be faster alone…I'll be alright here for a while…" He assured groggily, but Mai shook her head stubbornly, her hands trying again to pull the boy up, but he was heavier than he looked. She only managed to pull him a few inches before she almost lost her grip and lowered his dead weight to the stone floor.

"No Naru! I'm not leaving! If you don't go, I don't go." She stated firmly as she knelt before him, looking him in the eye so that he knew she was serious.

"You're my employee. I'm telling you to go!" Naru snapped, glaring as much as he could in his weakened state. His head felt heavy, almost like he had a fever, and his limbs were getting heavier. He was in a constant battle just to keep his eyes open. He could just make out the pout on Mai's face as she leaned forward.

"Fine then! I quit! Now get up!" She cried as she tried again to pull him up, but he was too heavy. Mai fell to her knees and clutched the chest of his top, leaning against his chest as she cried. "Naru…please…" She sobbed, feeling a gentle hand on her arm. Looking up she saw Naru's face inches from hers before he captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Mai clutched his top tighter as she melted into the kiss, losing herself for a moment and forgetting the trouble they were in. She felt Naru's hand slip up her arm and around to her back, gripping the back of her coat loosely.

"Mai…I can't go with you…I can barely keep my eyes open…I guess I was more wounded by that fall than I thought." Naru confessed as he drew back, keeping his hand on her back. Mai gripped his top tighter, her hands quivering slightly against his chest.

"Try Naru! Please try!" she begged. Naru closed his eyes a moment, a moment in which Mai feared he had lapsed into unconsciousness again, but then Mai felt him gripping her shoulder with his uninjured arm and she pulled him to his feel, bracing him on her shoulder as she took almost all of his weight. "Hold on; I'll get you out!" Mai assured as she half dragged Naru towards the grate, trying to keep a pace that was both slow enough for him, but quick enough to make progress. The tunnel beyond the grating was exactly the same as the last, but much much longer, and as she walked she felt Naru getting heavier and heavier. "Naru, are you okay?" She asked in concern, pausing to look at him, finding his head hanging downwards.

"I'll be fine…We have to keep moving." He replied quietly, trying to focus though the pain in his knee and arm. Mai nodded and started moving again, trying to move a little faster to see if he could keep up. He could it seemed, so she kept going at a normal walking pace. Looking ahead she saw the tunnel getting slightly lighter, and a cool breeze flowed up the tunnel.

"Look Naru! Light!" Mai cried excitedly as they moved forwards. As the light got brighter Mai could just make out the sky and some trees, though after about an hour of darkness the light hurt for a while. Once they reached the edge of the tunnel Mai looked out onto a river; a frozen river luckily. She looked in both directions and could see what looked like a main road. "Naru, come on! We're going this way." She decided as she carefully stepped onto the frozen river, supporting Naru carefully, hoping that the ice would hold. After a few minutes of slipping and sliding they reached the road and Mai looked around searchingly. _I have no idea where we are! How am I going to get Naru somewhere he can get help?_ She wondered, knowing that the chances of a car driving by were slim, and the chances that the car would stop were slimmer still. "Naru; you stay here. I'll be right back okay? Try to stay awake." She said gently as she lowered Naru to the ground. Naru nodded weakly and sat unsteadily at the roadside with nothing to lean back on.

Mai walked a little way down the road, looking for road signs or houses in the distance. All she could see was the frozen river on one side, and an endless line of trees on the other. She knew the mansion had to be close, but she couldn't see it at all through the trees, and she had no idea which direction to go in. She guess this was the right way since the tunnel face the river, but the tunnel may have wound and twisted from another direction; it was hard to tell under ground. After a few minutes without any luck she headed back to find an old couple looking down at Naru in concern. It seemed they'd only just come across him.

"Are you alright lad?" The old woman asked kindly as she bent over him. It seemed Naru was in no fit state to answer as he remained doubled over facing the ground. The old man puffed on his pipe and held tightly to the lead of a small white westie, which seemed just as concerned as its owners as it sniffed Naru's outstretched leg. Mai hurried closer to the trio, the old woman looking up at her approach.

"Excuse me! Do you know where we can get help?" Mai asked, shivering as she realised just how cold it was out of the tunnel. "Please; he needs a hospital!" Mai cried as tears began leaking from her eyes. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew that she could trust these people; they'd been concerned enough to stop in the first place, so they couldn't be bad.

"My dear! It's alright. You come with us; our house is just down the road. We can call an ambulance and get you warmed up." The old woman soothed as she put an arm round Mai's shoulder. The woman was very neat; her long silver hair wound up into a bun on the top of her head, and she was wearing a traditional kimono beneath her thick winter coat. Despite wearing a kimono, she was also wearing winter boots rather than the usual zouri, but Mai couldn't blame her; it was cold.

"Oh thank you; thank you so much!" Mai replied in relief as she sank down beside Naru and tried to coax him to his feet. She managed to get him halfway before he began to fall, a moan escaping his pale lips. She'd only seen him this pale once before; when he'd collapsed after falling down the well last time. _I wish Lin-san was here…He seems to know how to deal with this sort of thing…_

"Easy now!" The old man, who must have been at least sixty-five, said as he braced Naru's other side. "This way dear." He added as they walked back the way Mai had come from. Despite his age the man was still strong; Mai could feel the weight lifted from her shoulder as the man took the majority of Naru's weight. "What happened? You look like you've had a rough time of it." He asked kindly as they walked along, the old woman now walking with the dog, which still seemed most concerned as it constantly looked back at the trio behind.

"Well, we were up at Fai Tanaki's mansion. We were called in to investigate a problem he's been having and we fell down a well, which came out by the river. We've been out all night." She replied sheepishly, her thoughts returning to the mansion and the others, who would be awake by now. "The others must be terribly worried…" She thought aloud, feeling troubled as she imagined Monk-san's frantic search, John's worried expression and Lin's silent fear, as well as Fai, who Mai thought was more likely to react like Monk-san than either of the others.

"Don't worry dear; as soon as we get inside you can use our phone to call your friends." The old woman assured as she looked over her shoulder, the kimono not slowing her down at all. "What is your name dear?" She asked as she adjusted the collar of her thick blue coat, the dark blue sleeve of her kimono just poking at the wrist.

"Oh; I'm Mai, and this is Naru-I mean Kazuya." She corrected quickly, receiving a warm smile from the old woman. If Naru had been his usual self Mai knew he would have reacted to her introducing him by his nickname, but she wasn't even sure he could hear them. Looking across worriedly she was unsurprised to find his eyes shut, but he was still making an effort to stumble along, so he was definitely awake.

"Well, Mai I am Megumi, and this is my husband Taka." The old woman introduced. "And this," She continued as the small dog at her feet yapped in apparent indignation at being left out, "Is Yuko." She concluded looking at the dog with a smile, Yuko now seeming content that it had been remembered. Mai smiled down at the dog as they walked and as she looked up a small cottage came into view on the roadside, which they headed towards. Once they reached it the old woman opened the door and ushered them into the house, warmth hitting Mai as soon as they stepped inside. "Put him down here dear." The woman instructed as she steered Mai, Naru and Taka towards the sofa, where they laid Naru comfortably as Megumi brought in blankets for him. "Come dear; take that coat off." Megumi said kindly, but as Mai unbuttoned it she remembered what she had been wearing when she went down to the well.

"Actually I'm quite cold; I think I'd better keep it on." She replied with a blush, uncomfortable with the idea of revealing her nightclothes. "Um…Could I use your phone?" She asked quickly before Megumi could object. The old woman backed away a little as Yuko bounded into the room and scuttled around her feet before pawing the sofa at Naru's side.

"Oh; yes of course. It's just through there on the right, in the kitchen." Megumi instructed as she pointed to a room behind Mai, which appeared to be the dining room. Turning right from there she saw the kitchen and walked inside, where she saw a cordless phone. She picked it up and dialled the hospital to ask for an ambulance before calling the mansion and letting a very worried Fai know where they were.

"I'll tell you about it later; I don't want to run up a bill…If I don't see you before I'll meet you at the hospital." She said before hanging up and heading back into the living room, where Naru lay now soundly asleep. _Was letting him sleep a good idea? He's lost some blood…and he may have hit his head…_ She thought worriedly as she sat on the edge of the sofa, gently brushing his hair out of his face. Within a few minutes the ambulance had arrived and Naru was loaded into the back with Mai, who had a few cuts and bruises of her own and, finding that she had also fallen down the well, the paramedics insisted she get checked over.


	5. Chapter Five

Mai sat in the waiting room wrapped securely in her coat, constantly looking for the others and waiting for news on Naru, who had been separated from her as soon as they'd arrived, being wheeled to an examination room before surgery she assumed. She had been treated for the small cuts and had her head checked for any damage, but she was fine. _Thanks to Naru…If he hadn't stopped himself from falling on me it would have been me getting wheeled into surgery…_ She thought guiltily as she looked towards the doors Naru had been taken through. _What's taking so long?_

"Mai!" A familiar voice cried from the entrance, and before Mai could get up she found herself in the tight embrace of Monk-san, whom she had only seen looking this worried on one occasion when she had tried to take on the spirits of Ryokuryou High School alone. The honey haired girl closed her eyes as she melted into Monk-san's warm embrace, her hands reaching up to grip the front of his dark khaki coat tightly. "What happened? Are you alright? How's Naru?" The monk asked as he knelt down to her level, his hands reaching up to rest comfortingly on her pale cheeks.

"Monk-san…It's all my fault!" Mai cried as she thrust herself into his chest, feeling is arms wrap around her securely. As she cried she told him everything that had happened to them since they met at the edge of the well. Monk-san listened patiently, not once loosening his embrace as he rubbed her back and stroked her short hair.

"Mai…Mai, it's alright; everything will be fine." He soothed as she finished her story, still blaming herself and riddled with guilt. Mai sniffed as she drew back, the monk giving her his usual assuring smile as he reached up and ruffled her hair affectionately, letting his hand slip down to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"He's right Mai. Here; I brought you some clothes." Fai agreed as he handed a bag to Mai. Mai hadn't even noticed the blonde sneak up on them, and reached out numbly to accept the carrier bag. "You should go and change, and then you should get some sleep." He added as she looked in the bag. Inside she could see her chords and black top.

"Thank you." Mai sniffed as she took the bag and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her coat.

"There's a rest room just there. Go on; we'll call if a nurse comes with news." Monk-san assured as he pointed to a door with a ladies sign on it. Mai nodded and walked into the single room, which was obviously for the disabled since it was so big. _I'd better be quick just in case._ She thought as she pulled off her coat and nightclothes and pulled on the things that Fai had brought, blushing slightly as she found the fresh underwear. _Oh my god; he went through my underwear! Oh no! He might know my bra size now!_ She thought in embarrassment, her face feeling very hot, and looking very red as she caught herself in the mirror. She waited a few moments for the colour to fade before going back to join Monk-san and Fai, who were now accompanied by Lin and John.

"Mai! I heard what happened; about Mika I mean. Do you remember anything specific?" Lin asked as she approached, his dark brown eyes boring into her. Mai had been in such a rush when she'd spoken to Monk-san that she had only told him about sneaking down to the well, her and Naru falling in and their struggle through the tunnels. She'd only briefly mentioned that she had seen Mika in a dream.

"Uh…Yes; a lot actually. There was a." She began, but just as she was about to launch into an explanation about the chanting and the book, a female voice called form across the room.

"Mai Taniyama?" Mai turned and saw a brunette nurse standing by the door to the wards looking around expectantly. Mai held up a hand and walked over hesitantly, closely followed by the other four. "Taniyama-san, please follow me." She invited kindly, holding up a hand as the other made to follow. "Please wait; we would like only Taniyama-san for now." She added kindly to the others, who nodded and stayed back as Mai was led down a long corridor to a private room, where Naru was waiting propped up on his pillows, once again in white. Seeing him alive, let alone sitting up and looking at her, was more than Mai had expected, and it showed as she ran to the edge of the bed and launched herself into his arms. Naru smiled, despite the pain, and held her, breathing in the light flowery scent of her hair.

"I thought you were going to die!" She cried as she pulled back and looked up at him tearfully. She pulled back slightly, though she kept her hands on his arms, and he kept his hands on her waist. She'd thrown herself so far that only one of her feet was on the floor, the other knee rested on the mattress at his side.

"To tell you the truth, there were times in those tunnels that I thought I might." He admitted, though looking back he was probably being melodramatic. He'd known he was in trouble; the fatigue and blurred vision had told him that much. He was certainly in no danger now, and he was far less pale.

"What's wrong?" Mai asked as she looked him over briefly, relieved to see the colour in his cheeks again.

"Surprisingly little. The whack on the head was what knocked me out and made me light-headed, my arm was fractured by the fall, and my knee was sprained. I didn't lose much blood at all; most of it was from a scrape on my shin. I just need to spend the night here in case of concussion and have my fracture seen to. The sprain should be fine once I get moving around; I shouldn't take more than a day to get back to normal." He replied, Mai listening with wide hazel eyes as he listed off his minor injuries. "Oh, and I did break two ribs in the fall, but those will heal in time." He added at Mai's looks of relief. _Two ribs is the least I expected! I can't believe how lucky he was!_

"I'm so glad." She replied warmly as she wrapped her arms around him. She was a little surprised as she felt his arms reach up to hold her securely, his head leaning on her shoulder as he breathed her scent. "The others are here…Shall I go get them?" She asked after a few moments of silence, but Naru held her a little tighter, his left hand reaching up to run through her windswept locks.

"No…I just want to hold you for a while." He replied, moving over and pulling Mai gently onto the bed. Getting the hint, Mai raised her foot from the floor and sprawled out beside him, shifting closer to lean her head on his chest. Naru didn't say anything as he adjusted his arm around her, his injured hand resting on her arm as she laid it across his chest. She closed her eyes and listened to his steady heartbeat, gradually hearing his breathing slow as she drifted off in the safety of his arms.

 

* * *

 

"Hey; Mai! Naru! You guys awake?" Monk-san asked loudly as he knocked on the door. Mai groaned lightly and opened her eyes, looking up to see Naru stir and look down at her with his tired sapphire gaze. _He really does have…the most beautiful eyes…_ She thought tiredly as Monk-san knocked again, the boy beside her almost sighing as he reluctantly disentangled himself from his secretary. Mai climbed off the bed and into the chair at the bedside, rubbing her eyes as she stifled a yawn.

"Yes; come in." Naru called, sitting up with a straight back and a neutral stare in place. Monk-san opened the door and entered, followed by Fai, John and Lin. Before any of them could voice their concern or relief, Naru jumped in. "Let's continue our investigation. Mai; tell us about your dream and the instances before you left the house and after we fell; every single detail. Miss nothing out." Naru ordered, glancing at her briefly as Lin handed him his laptop. Monk-san raised a worried hand to his head, looking sheepish as he eyed the teen.

"Hey, Naru-chan; you sure you should be working so soon?" He asked in concern as the teen flipped the screen up and turned the laptop on. John wasn't going to voice it, but he felt the same as Monk-san. Lin was also unusually quiet as he looked at his young charge.

"I'm fine." Naru replied mechanically, typing in a password and waiting for the computer to start up. He didn't say anything about the nickname Monk-san had used, but the monk knew he'd said something wrong at the sharp gaze sent his way.

"You did take a hit to the head Naru; maybe Monk-san's right…" Mai added worriedly as she looked at the boy clothed in white, accentuating the darkness of his hair, which she was dying to run her fingers through. _Don't think like that Mai-chan! This is serious!_ She scolded, catching herself before she thought any further ahead.

"I assure you, my injuries were minor." He assured again, a flicker of warmth visible as he glanced at Mai, though only she had caught it. Mai smiled slightly in return and nodded as he turned back to his laptop. "Please begin." He said in his usual business tone as he waited with his fingers poised above the keys. Mai retold her tale in full; from the moment she'd left her room up until the old couple had found them at the roadside.

"That is dark magic." Lin burst out, visibly shuddering at the thought. Mai's eyes widened slightly at his response. She'd never seen the tall, calm and collected man in this state before; a look between fear and dread had replaced his usual emotionless mask, which rivalled Naru's at times. Mai wasn't the only one who was concerned at the change, Monk-san was now wearing his own grave expression, and John looked more worried than usual too.

"You know of it?" John asked, wanting to get more details. It wasn't often that the Chinese man was moved, and if it could get him this worried than it was something they all needed to be prepared for.

"Yes; I know of it, and countering it is almost as difficult as casting it! We must not move the body until then. To do so would trap Mika's soul forever, and being bound in such a painful way, and in such a place…" He trailed off, a hand raised to his face as if he were in pain. He didn't look so good. Naru seemed to be worried too as his fingers stilled and he watched his guardian.

"What do you mean? She was already dead when she was bound; I didn't think ghosts could feel pain." Mai said in a confused one. Lin shook his head regretfully as he too the second seat beside Naru's bed and laced his fingers, leaning his chin on top thoughtfully.

"Of many spirits this is true; they can't be touched by humans, but magic can hurt them; either destroying them, as you know, or binding them. This binding is like placing a ring of permanent fire around the body and fusing the spirit to the bones, but instead of the pain stopping once the soul is fused, it continues to ensure the curse cannot be broken. If the body is moved by a mortal from the circle then the curse is unbreakable, though a mortal may pass in and out of the circle as they please." He replied to Mai's unasked question, to which she was relieved since she had stepped inside the circle while feeling her way around the wall. "I know of the counter curse. It will be in a book that I know an associate of mine has. I will contact him right away and have it sent over." Lin replied to Naru's thoughts before he left. Mai and Naru watched the door where the tall man had left, Naru closing his eyes briefly before returning his attention to the rest of the group.

"Did anything happen in the mansion while we were gone?" Naru asked as he looked expectantly at Monk-san.

"No, nothing. The first we knew that anything was wrong was waking up to find you two gone and starting a full-scale search." He replied quickly, leaning against the wall with his arms folded casually. Naru shifted his gaze to Fai, not needing to ask the question.

"No; I remember everything, and I was with John most of the time." He replied, the young priest nodding his agreement. If Fai had been possessed at that time the exorcist would have noticed, of that Naru had no doubt. He didn't have Mai's latent abilities, but he was just as capable of sensing changes or distress in those around him.

"Very well. John and Fai, return to the mansion with Lin and assist him with preparations. Monk-san, wait with Mai until I have been discharged and can join you. We will then return to the mansion also." He ordered. There were many nods and sounds of agreement as people filed from the room, leaving only Mai and Naru once more.

"Naru…Will Lin-san really be able to do it? Will he really be able to free Mika? He looked so…I've never seen him like that..." She trailed off worriedly. Naru closed the laptop with a sigh, his expression just as disturbed as Mai's. It worried Mai more since Naru knew all of Lin's abilities, and had worked with him a lot longer.

"No…neither have I, though I have complete faith in his abilities as a spell caster. If anyone can break it, he can." Naru replied confidently, though he knew it would take a lot of preparation.

"But what if he can't?" Mai asked.

"He will." Naru insisted, not a trace out doubt in his voice or eyes.

 

* * *

 

Mai shivered as Fai led them down the garden to the chamber in which Mika was trapped. It was far away from Mika's small garden; in fact it seemed to be off Fai's land all together in the middle of a forest. They'd walked for at least half an hour, or rather they'd stumbled through snow covered shrubs and high grass for the past half hour.

"Fai; is this still your land?" Mai asked as they trekked through the snow, having finally found something akin to a footpath. Fai, who had seemed distracted looked down at Mai and smiled. Mai hadn't really noticed it before, but she really was much shorter than the men who surrounded her.

"Yes, my father owned this land for many years; in fact this is where the wedding took place." He replied with gentle eyes. Mai smiled in return; she didn't need to ask whose wedding. It had to be Eishi and Mika, though looking around now it didn't seem likely. She could imagine at the time it may have been different; without the shrubs and high grass there would be a lot of open space beneath the trees. In the spring, with all the blossom and flowers, it would have been beautiful.

"It must have been wonderful being married out here. When was it?" She asked conversationally, looking ahead to where Naru and Lin walked side by side with Monk-san hovering close by, all three whispering together. It was no surprise really; Monk-san and Lin had the closest type of abilities, and Naru was in charge, so he'd want to be kept informed.

"Oh! Many years ago now…I still remember the flowers; Mika always took pride in her flowers." He replied with a warm far off look. _Mika? Did they take some of the flowers from her garden? Oh! Maybe she had another secret garden!_ Mai thought as she walked beside Fai, looking around at John, who seemed to be lagging. He wouldn't be needed unless an exorcism was required, so he'd left Monk-san and Lin to sort out this particular ritual.

"John, are you alright?" Mai asked as she and Fai stopped to wait. John's eyes snapped up from the snowy ground to Mai's eyes as he was pulled suddenly from his thoughts.

"Oh yes, I'm fine Mai; just a little…preoccupied." He replied evasively, his blue eyes darting off to the treeline. Mai took in his slightly melancholic air, tilting her head questioningly.

"With what?" Mai asked in concern as he caught up to them, walking between Mai and Fai with his hands buried in his chequered coat pockets. Mai watched his eyebrow raise at the question, pink colouring his cheeks as he almost buried the lower half of his face in the high collar of his coat.

"Oh; nothing important really! I was just…well…I was thinking about Masako. I hope her plane was alright; we've had some terrible storms, and there will be ice on the runways, and strong blizzards…What if something happened? She would have been landing here this afternoon if she were going to make it to the ball tomorrow night…I just hope she's safe." He replied with more worry than he'd usually allow. Mai had to admit, it hadn't crossed her mind, but it made sense that Masako would be returning around this time. She had said she'd try to join them for the end of the case after all; and Ayako had promised to show up too.

"Yeah…There have been a lot of accidents, but only with cars, you know? I'm sure they would have been redirected or cancelled the flight if it was too dangerous…Why don't you give her a call?" Mai asked, seeing John sigh inwardly. She wasn't used to seeing this version of John; she was used to him being carefree and smiling. Seeing him being so melancholic would be like seeing Monk-san take Ayako seriously; it just wouldn't happen.

"But I can't! She'd start to think…I couldn't let her know! I just don't want to be rejected again…" John replied softly. Mai stopped in her tracks and looked at John as he and Fai continued forward.

"Again?" She pressed as she caught up. John looked awkward and took to looking at his boots as he spoke, his voice slightly muffled by his coat. He'd never spoken to anyone about this; at least not anyone outside the church. He had, of course, mentioned it during confessionals.

"When I was born…my mother she…she didn't take to me. We never bonded, and the stress it…One day she tried to drown me. I wasn't even a year old. It was a miracle my father returned when he did; he'd just left for work, but had forgotten something. He heard my cries and rushed in to find her…well, you can imagine." He explained gently, stopping as he suddenly felt Mai's arms around his shoulders, the smaller girl pulling him down. He leaned on her and pulled her into an embrace, feeling his cheeks heat in embarrassment as he shamefully accepted the comfort she offered.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Mother was taken to a hospital for postnatal depression and treated, but she never took to me…It broke my father's heart. He took me and left…He left her because of me…When I was old enough I joined the church, thanking God everyday for saving me, for having my father return to the house in that moment. Father was so proud when I joined the church. He paid for me to go to the best school for it, and I studied and studied to repay him for all he'd done, and once I became an exorcist…he cried with pride, and that was enough for me…I was truly happy then." He replied, the honey haired girl knowing from the sound of his breathing that he'd let a few tears escape at the memories. She heard him take a breath, his grip telling her there was more to tell.

"What about your mother?" Mai asked almost hesitantly.

"I found out when I was eighteen she…she couldn't live with the guilt…Father had left…she'd had no one to turn to…she…she hanged herself." He replied, tears falling slowly down his cheeks. Mai didn't need to see them, she could hear them in his voice and feel them in the shiver of his shoulders.

"Oh John…I'm so sorry." Mai cried as she held him, the blonde boy's tears setting her off. _Oh Mai! Pull yourself together!_ She scolded inwardly as tears trickled down her cheeks. Ahead of them Naru and the others had stopped and were waiting curiously, Monk-san looking concerned as he noticed the exorcist's distress.

"It's okay! We'll catch up shortly!" Fai called obligingly as he waved to the trio ahead. Mai glanced over, seeing a glint of jealousy and possessiveness flicker across Naru's features in quite an uncharacteristic way. _I can't believe he'd be like that at a time like this!_ She thought crossly as John pulled back and wiped his eyes. She returned her sympathetic attention to the Australian boy, who was only three years older than her.

"I really must apologise Mai; I shouldn't have burdened you like that." He apologised guiltily as he tried to wipe away the evidence of his tears. Fai laid a sympathetic hand on his shoulder, giving him a small smile of sympathy as Mai collected herself.

"Don't think like that! I'm glad you feel you can talk to me like this." She replied with a bright smile. It amazed John how she could go from one extreme to the next; aside from the reddened eyes he would never have guess that she'd been crying with him moments ago.

"Thank you Mai." He replied, giving a weak smile in return.

"Come on; we had better catch up." Fai said as he started walking, feeling slightly awkward to have been caught up in the personal moment. Mai and John followed quickly and a few minutes later they arrived at the entrance to the chamber. Two large metal doors had been pulled open and a ladder had been thrown down. It almost looked like a service hatch leading down to a sewer.

"Hurry up!" Naru's voice called impatiently from below as Mai peered over the edge into the darkness, hesitating as she thought about the distance. She couldn't see anything down below; it was just a black hole. She wasn't whether that was because it was so deep or because the sun was stopping her eyes from adjusting. Looking back Fai gave her a reassuring smile and John stepped forward, holding out a supportive hand to her.

"I'll hold onto you until you get your footing, alright?" He encouraged with an assuring smile. Mai smiled nervously and gripped his hand as she crouched down by the edge and found the ladder with her feet. His hand was larger than she'd thought; it almost completely covered hers, and his skin was soft, almost feminine. She quickly turned herself so that she was standing on the ladder with one hand gripping the rope edge. She took a step down, feeling the wooden rungs on the heels of her shoes. Soon she was too far down to keep hold of John, so she let go and made her way down slowly.

"You're doing great Mai!" Monk-san called up encouragingly, the honey haired girl nodding to herself in agreement. "You're almost here!" He added, his voice much louder now that she was approaching the stone floor of the chamber. Soon after Mai felt her back collide with something soft but firm and felt strong arms close around her in a firm but gentle embrace.

"Watch where you're swinging." Naru's voice scolded beside her ear, but before Mai could snap out a reply she felt his lips on her neck, trailing a few soft kisses down the soft skin as she stepped to the floor. She felt his tone chest at her back; he was clearly leaning down as she felt his warm breath ghost across the curve of her neck.

"S-sorry Naru." She apologised in a slightly higher voice than usual, grateful for the darkness so that no one could see her blush. _God I just want to! No! Bad Mai! We have a job to do!_ She scolded as she stepped slowly away from the ladder in the darkness, feeling Naru's hands tug her towards the wall out of the way, she then felt her back against the rough stone as he pressed against her firmly, his lips brushing hers lightly before drawing her into a passionate kiss, his hand running through her hair, his knee pressed between her legs and his other hand rising up her side to cup her breast gently. _Oh god!_ Mai thought, barely able to think anything as his tongue slid into her mouth to entwine with hers.

"Naru; we're almost ready to begin." Lin's voice called, almost as if it were a warning. _But he couldn't possibly see down here…could he?_ Mai wondered as she shifted her gaze in the direction Lin's voice had come from. She could just make out his tall figure on the opposite side of the chamber as Fai's feet touched the ground. Naru drew back reluctantly and walked away just as a candle flickered to life, leaving Mai leaning on the wall, dazed and dishevelled.

"Alright; let's get these candles lit and placed around then." Naru's voice said with its usual authoritative tone as more candles were lit, until there was a ring surrounding Lin and Mika's skeletal remains. The summer kimono she had been wearing in Mai's dream was ripped and tattered, but still hung from her form.

"My god! What did he do to you?" Fai's voice gasped in horror, his body quivering lightly in the darkness as his blue eyes stared unblinking. Mai looked at Mika, waiting for Lin to begin. She watched as Lin removed a knife, a book and some sort of powder from the cloth bag he'd carried down with him. He started with the powder, taking a handful of black dust and chanting as he threw it over Mika's remains. A slight breeze picked up and drifted through the tunnels, giving Mai shivers and making the candles flicker as the powder settled. Lin continued to chant with all eyes watching him, the candlelight making it seem that people were dancing around them, but then Mai did see someone move. Naru made a dash towards Mika, his intent clear in his eyes until Fai tackled him from the side, taking him to the ground roughly.

"Naru! Fai!" Mai cried as she made to move towards them, but Monk-san's firm hand on her shoulder stopped her. Fai and Naru glared at each other, grunting and gasping as they grappled and rolled on the stone floor, just a foot or so from where Lin knelt chanting, not allowing the commotion to break his concentration. Mai looked up at the monk, who pulled her back behind him protectively as Naru and Fai continued to struggle, Naru something getting his hands around Fai's throat, but the blonde was still on top.

"Let John handle this." The monk advised as John pulled out a vial of holy water and his leather bound bible, stepping forwards to exorcise the pair. Lin continued his work, raising the delicate blade as he continued to recite the incantation. As Mai glanced to the side she saw him cut his palm and let the blood drip onto the ring; it was only a few drops, but the effect was instant. A strong, cold wind gusted through the tunnel; the candles blew out and Mai felt a rush as a familiar voice filled her head.

 ** _"Eishi!"_** It cried, and it took Mai a few moments to realise that it wasn't just inside her head, but falling from her lips as well. **_"Eishi! Stop! I'm alright!"_** She cried as she broke free from Monk-san and ran to Fai, who was pinning Naru to the floor with his hands around his throat. _Naru!_ Mai thought worriedly as he gasped for breath and clawed at Fai's hands desperately.

"Mika?" Fai asked as he looked at Mai, who had felt her body run towards him and now nodded as she squeezed his shoulder. _This is so strange…The last time I was possessed I couldn't see or feel anything; I didn't even remember what I did!_ She thought as she felt herself throw her arms around Fai, his blue eyes softening as he leaned his head against her shoulder, but he didn't loosen his grip on the ebony haired boy beneath him. _I wonder if I can say something…_ "Hello? Can anyone hear me?" She asked hesitantly, her body drawing back from Fai as she spoke.

"Mai! Yes! You're getting through!" Monk-san replied in surprise; it wasn't common for the host to speak while possessed. "Are you okay in there?" He asked in concern as he stepped closer to Mai's kneeling form and crouched beside her. Mai tried shifting her head and found she could take control, looking at Monk-san. _I think she's letting me!_ She realised. "Yes! Yes I'm fine! John, back off for a moment! I think we're ok, but be ready to get Naru!" She warned, seeing John step back slightly, though he kept the bible and vial of water ready. **_"Thank you."_** Mika's voice said gratefully as she looked around at the unfamiliar face. **_"Thank you to all of you; you helped me even when you didn't have to. Eishi please! This is not Tohru's body to kill."_** She said softly, touching Fai's shoulder comfortingly and watching as he begrudgingly released Naru, who snarled and would have been on top of Fai had John not thrown the holy water over him and started reading a passage quickly. Naru howled in fury and pain before falling to the ground unconscious. Mai seized control instantly and knelt by his side.

"Naru! Naru please!" She cried worriedly as she shook his shoulder, barely registering that Mika's presence had retreated completely. She watched worriedly, her eyes widening in relief Naru stirred and open his eyes, coughing and reaching up to his sore throat, light bruises forming on his pale skin.

"Did we do it?" He asked, his voice husky and croaked as he looked up in a daze. Mai smiled and nodded in relief, tempted to throw her arms around the ebony haired boy, but she settled for helping him to sit up and allowing him to lean his shoulder against hers.

"Yes, and we both thank you. We cannot tell you how grateful we are to you." Fai said as he stood before them with a warm expression, though they all knew it wasn't Fai speaking. "We shall leave for now, but we owe you a great debt; a debt that will be paid." He assured gently, but before anyone could ask what he meant Fai's body collapsed and was quickly caught by Monk-san before it hit the floor. Monk-san gently laid the blonde down before turning his attention to the tall Chinese man, who knelt before Mika's body exhausted.

"Hopefully that's it, but we'll stay for a few days to make sure." Naru decided in a stronger voice as he slowly to his feet, not needing Mai's help as he did so. "Let's get back to the house; Lin, start working on a binding spell just in case." He ordered offhandedly, watching as Lin nodded tiredly and almost stumbled towards the ladder, leaving John and Monk-san to pack up the candles and other articles from the ritual.

"Fai; are you alright?" Mai asked softly as she knelt beside him, one of her hands resting on his shoulder. He looked up at her tiredly before sitting up with a groan, Mai's hands keeping him steady as he did so. He looked dazed and tired, as well as slightly disorientated.

"Yes, I'm fine." He assured softly as Mai helped him to his feet, the taller boy stumbling slightly before finding his footing, his hands resting on Mai's shorter shoulders for a few moments.

"Mai, Fai; come on." Naru called from the bottom of the ladder as John climbed up after Monk-san. Fai hurried over and followed John, who seemed to be a little stuck at the top. Mai wasn't sure what was being said, but she could hear John talking and Monk-san laughing. Taking advantage of the moment, Naru pulled Mai further into the darkness and kissed her, leaning her back against the wall with one knee resting snugly between her legs, her body squirming at the contact.

"Mm…Naru, the others!" She began in objection, only to be cut off by Naru's lips crushing hers as his hands explored her body over her clothing; running down her sides, caressing her backside and then rising up again to her breasts. _Oh God, don't stop!_ Mai thought as she felt her breaths grow heavier, her kisses more urgent. She lifted her hands up to his shoulders and pulled him closer, feeling his knee brush her groin lightly, making her gasp in surprise and something darker. She felt his knee rise and brush her again, her breath getting deeper and her grip on his shoulders tightening. He leaned against her, raising his knee so that it pressed more firmly between her legs. "N-Naru!" She whimpered, somewhere between lust and fear. He captured her lips again and held her close, the gesture affectionate and assuring at the same time.

"Hey! Naru! Mai! You guys coming?" Monk-san's voice called with a hint of amusement.

"No; we thought we'd stay down here all day!" Naru called back, his sarcasm not lost on Monk-san. Mai could just make out the monk's figured as he leaned over the circular opening above and looked down.

"In that case I'll close the doors for you." He called back teasingly.

"Don't you dare!" Mai cried, suddenly snapping back to herself and remembering there was a corpse a few feet away. She walked quickly to the ladder and started climbing, feeling Naru only a few rungs behind her. Mai gripped the rungs, shrieking as the ladder swung a little and she almost lost her footing, but before she could fall Naru's arms had appeared on either side of her, his chest pressed against her back reassuringly.

"Stop slacking and get moving." He prompted impatiently as Mai froze, her heart pounding at the thought of falling. _Why that arrogant!_ She thought viciously, but before she could think further she felt him nip her ear lightly and blushed. _God I wish he'd stop teasing me like that!_ She thought fondly, though she was still annoyed.


	6. Chapter Six

Mai stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself, blushing at the gown Fai had found for her. It was quite old fashioned, with a strong bodice that pushed her breasts up and corset lacing at the back so that her stomach, what there was of it, was pulled in. The skirts of the black dress were long and flowing, the toes of her heeled shoes only just showing beneath the gown. Her shoulders were bare; the ornamental straps were around her upper arms, but they were loose. The bodice held the dress up by itself because it was so tight. _God, this dress is gorgeous! A bit hard to breathe in, but I think I'll get through the night…Can I really wear this? It's so beautiful! Do I really do it justice?_ She wondered doubtfully as she ran a hand through her golden hair, which seemed just as scruffy as usual.

"Mai?" Fai's voice called through the door. Fai had been waiting outside for her to get ready; having left her with one of his now returned maids to help with the lacing. The maid, a middle aged woman called Yuiko, had already left to help with preparations downstairs.

"Come in!" She replied, still looking at herself doubtfully. She turned as Fai entered the room, startled as he dropped the red roses and masks he had been carrying and stared at her. "I look awful don't I! I knew I couldn't carry this dress off! It's just too good for me to wear! I'll never carry it off!" She said in a panic as she turned back to the mirror. She felt like a little girl wearing her mother's best dress for dress-up.

"Oh Mai; that's not it at all! You look beautiful!" Fai assured as he picked up the roses and masks before walking to her side. "So beautiful that you made me lose myself for a moment. Here; these are for you, I'm not sure who they're from though; they were at the bottom of the stairs." He added politely as he gave the roses to Mai. She looked at them wonderingly, the red silk petals shining in the light of the bedroom. _No one's ever given me flowers before…_ She thought with butterflies in her stomach, plucking the square of cardboard from inside the roses. **Mai, I'll find you in the ballroom. Wait for me where the clock stands.** She read, but there was no name, and the writing was written as separate letters, so she couldn't tell whose it was even if she knew them. _How odd…I wonder who it was…_ She thought curiously as she scrutinised the little white card. _It doesn't seem Naru's style, and Fai would surely have told me it was him…John likes Masako, Monk-san…No, not a chance!_ She thought, laughing inwardly at the thought of the monk, who was more like a brother to her, sending her roses. "Oh yes; your friends have arrived, Miss. Ayako and Miss. Masako. They are in the ballroom now and will be staying on the floor above." Fai informed as an afterthought.

"Oh right; thank you." Mai said warmly, feeling a tug of guilt as she realised she had forgotten about the other two coming for the ball. _Great; I have to put up with Masako being all over Naru! God I hate her sometimes!_ She thought, calming herself with the thoughts that it was her, and not Masako, whom Naru had chosen. _But poor John…I really hope she starts to notice him!_ She added inwardly, wondering if there was a way to make the young medium notice the exorcist more.

"Mai here; it is a masquerade after all." Fai said as he handed her a black mask lined with gold that would cover her face down to the jaw line, stopping at her cheekbones to show the bottom half of her face. She secured the mask with the elastic, looking at the feathers fanning from the top.

"I look like I'm from fifteenth century Europe or something!" She laughed as she took in her reflection.

"More seventeenth I think." Fai corrected as he pulled his own mask over his face, his one white and black to match his suit. "Shall we?" He invited as he proffered his arm. Mai slipped her hand through his elbow and held up the skirt of her gown as they made their way down to the ballroom. Once in the cavernous room she stopped and gasped at the seemingly hundreds of people. There were probably only a hundred, but the constant swirl of gowns and turn of masks made it look so much more. "Come; I'll introduce you to my cousins." Fai insisted as he stepped forward, intending to lead her further into the room.

"Oh, maybe later. I said I'd meet someone." Mai replied politely as she looked around for the clock, seeing it on her right and already spying someone below it. From where she stood she could tell it wasn't Monk-san or John; his hair was black, and he was quite tall.

"Alright, I'll hold you to that." Fai replied with a smile as he bowed and kissed her hand before walking off into the crowd. Mai made her way to the clock, startled as she realised the man in the suit was Lin. With the hairstyle and height it couldn't be anyone else, despite the elegant mask that obscured his face more than usual.

"Lin-san!" She greeted in surprise, her mouth suddenly feeling very dry. _Lin-san? It was Lin-san who left the roses?_ She wondered in disbelief as she stopped behind him. He turned and looked down, bowing slightly; the honey haired girl was completely taken aback. What did it all mean? She'd never considered that the Chinese man might harbour feelings for her. _Does he? Maybe it's arrogant of me to assume that…but then…why the roses?_

"Mai; would you care to dance?" He asked as he held out a large hand for hers. Mai placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to the floor, her confusion hidden behind the mask. She followed Lin in a slow waltz, confused further by his lack of explanation. He didn't say a word to her as they danced, and he barely looked at her at all. As they glided across the floor she tried to get a read on what he was thinking, but it was impossible.

She'd known he was tall before their dance, but it was only now that she was in his arms that she realised just how tall he was; he was six foot five at least. Rather than resting her hand on his shoulder she had settled it on his upper arm, otherwise she would have to stand on tiptoe. He pulled her a little closer as he twirled their bodies around another couple, Mai finding her stomach pressed against his crotch in the process. Lin's scent was different to Naru's; it was like musk and peppermint, earthy but fresh at the same time. The song came to an end and Lin tilted Mai backwards, the teen's eyes widening as his face drew closer to hers, her heart suddenly racing as she felt his breath on her lips. She was surprised as he turned her head and leaned down to her ear.

"He said he will be here when the clock strikes nine. Be at the clock then." He instructed simply, walking away into the crowd before she could question him further. _What is going on?_ She wondered as she watched the tall man go, her cheeks feeling slightly heated from the bizarre experience. It was then that she turned and saw Masako in a red flowery kimono and matching eye mask clinging to a young man in black; undoubtedly Naru. Holding in her irritation and ignoring the smug smile Masako sent her way, Mai turned and almost walked into a young man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask.

"Mai! Hey!" Monk-san's muffled voice greeted with a hint of surprise. Mai was about to reply when a tall woman appeared at her side, her arms folded as she regarded the monk in superior amusement.

"You just had to go one step further, didn't you?" Ayako's voice joked with a hint of affection, her dark red hair cascading down her shoulders in curled waves, the blood red gown and mask matching nicely. Mai had never seen the taller woman so made up, and never with curls in her hair. She looked beautiful.

"Hey! It's a cool mask." The monk replied defensively, looking intently at Ayako. He didn't say anything about her appearance, but the lack of insult or compliment made Mai think he was speechless beneath his mask. It certainly wouldn't be the first time the Shinto priestess had left him flabbergasted.

"Ayako! I'm so glad you made it! Where were you?" Mai asked brightly as she looked up at the older woman, unable to keep the smile from her face. It was rare to conduct a case without the priestess, and Mai had missed having the female company; even if she had gotten to sleep with Naru.

"I was in China performing a ritual, but I couldn't get back because of the snow. I'm so sorry; I heard about your." She began, swiftly finding herself cut off as she laid a supportive and sympathetic hand on Mai's shoulder.

"Your encounter!" Monk-san cut in, looking intently at Ayako as if trying to tell her something. Whatever it was obviously got there because she nodded, though Mai couldn't see the whole of her face. Something wasn't right.

"Yes! Terrible…Falling down that well and everything; I'm just really glad you're okay." She covered swiftly, something in Mai's gut turning as she looked up at the older woman. _Why do I suddenly feel such…foreboding?_

"Oh…It was nothing really! Naru was the one who got hurt; but he's fine, as you can see." She replied grudgingly, ending stiffly as she gestured towards where he stood with Masako clinging to him. It was hard to tell what Naru was thinking beneath the mask, but Masako was clearly thrilled as she clutched his arm and leaned against him brightly.

"We'll see you in a while; we have some…business to sort out." Ayako said as she dragged Monk-san away with her, both of them talking quickly in low voices as they disappeared. Mai sighed dejectedly as she found herself alone. _Maybe I should have gone with Fai…I'm not sure I fancy a mystery date._ She thought as she looked up at the grandfather clock, which read ten to nine. Sighing, she sat on a chair close by and waited, spending her time watching the couples dancing in swirling circles of colour like a day dream.

"Excuse me." A voice interrupted beside her. Mai started and looked up at the young man beside her. He wore white, which contrasted with his black hair and made Mai gasp in surprise, heat rushing to her cheeks as he leaned down in a small bow. "I'm glad you waited. Shall we dance?" He asked cordially as he offered her his hand. As Mai took his hand she tried to place his voice; it was deep and smooth, but so gentle and quiet that she couldn't place it.

As he took her in his arms she smiled; his hold was so familiar. Looking around she couldn't see Naru or Masako anywhere. _Damn; I wanted to make him jealous for a change!_ She thought, a little disappointed as she was swept across the floor. At the end of the dance she felt herself tilted back and then felt his lips brush across hers lightly, making her blush beneath the mask. _What's going on? I don't even know this guy! At least…I don't think I do…do I?_ She wondered as she looked up at him, seeing a glitter of blue through the eyes of his mask.

"It seems you could use some air. Perhaps we should go into the hall where it's less crowded." He suggested lightly as he took her arm and led her into the hall, though Mai wasn't sure what made her comply. Her heart was racing as they moved across the floor, air suddenly seeming like a very good idea. The heat of the room was pressing in on her since the dance, and the kiss had made her head spin.

"Wait a minute; who are you?" She asked as he wrapped his arms around her gently in the hall and pulled her towards him. Her cheeks were a deep shade of pink as she looked up at the familiar blue eyes staring back at her through the mask, his scent finally filling her senses as she realised it couldn't have been anyone else.

"You really do need to work on your intuition." He sighed, her certainty confirmed by the deeper tone he used as he chided her. The arrogance was unmistakable.

"Na." She began, but was cut off by his lips crushing hers, their masks scraping as he pulled her closer, his hands tracing her curved waist. Mai felt her breath catch, suddenly finding herself breathless as she remembered the corset constricting her ribs.

"I think we should continue this upstairs." Naru decided as he led her to the stairs. Mai allowed herself to be led, feeling her heartbeat quicken as they reached the top. He was leading her towards the bedroom; their bedroom. She paused warily as they approached the door, her body suddenly feeling jittery as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Naru, don't you think this is…a bit fast?" She asked worriedly as she blushed. Naru opened the door and stepped inside, allowing Mai to follow timidly. She stood awkwardly just beyond the doorway, her body stiffening as she heard the door click shut behind her. She listened to Naru's light footsteps as he moved from the door to stand in front of her.

"Mai; we've already known each other for over a year, and you know I won't go any further than you want me to." He replied in a warm tone that Mai found unfamiliar falling from his lips. She gave a hesitant nod in response. Naru smiled softly and kissed her, reaching round gently for the cords of the bodice. Mai felt the bodice loosen and gasped, pulling her hands back to hold the slipping dress up to cover her breasts. _Oh god Mai; what have you gotten yourself into?_ She wondered as she stepped back, feeling the cool wood of the door against her back. "Don't be afraid." Naru soothed as he kissed her neck, feeling her squirm as he pressed his body against hers, a small mewl escaping her mouth as he bit down gently. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed the silken skin of her back soothingly, almost smirking as her grip on the bodice loosened and the dress began to slide to the floor, her hands moving to rest against his chest lightly. He pulled back and looked at her flushed face, moving his eyes down to her now bare breasts and then to her shapely hips and legs.

"Oh!" She exclaimed as she realised her state of dress, blushing as she drew her arms across her chest to cover herself.

"Too late, I've already seen it." He said, noting her horrified look, the pink in her cheeks and the way she bit her lip telling him how humiliated she felt. "Mai; you're perfect, don't be so modest…You're always so modest…" He almost whispered as he reached forward and gently lowered her arms, drawing her face back with his hand as she turned away. _I can't believe I'm standing here like this! What should I do?_ She wondered fearfully as Naru's lips met hers. She reached up and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning back against the door as he moved down to her neck and reached up to clutch one breast as he moved to lick and suckle the other. She felt one of his knees move between her legs, rising until she was almost sitting on it.

"Naru!" She gasped as he raised his knee and gently bit down on her pert nipple, a gasp rising in her throat. _I wonder if I should do something…But what?_ She wondered as Naru began raising his knee in a regular rhythm, forcing a gasp from Mai as the heat between her legs rose and the moisture began seeping through her white lace panties. Mai felt the strength from her legs draining and was grateful when Naru pulled the bolt across the door and carried her to the bed.

"You want to lead for a while?" He asked softly as he joined her on the bed, sitting at her side casually with his legs crossed at the ankles in front of him. Mai got to her knees, slipping her shoes off as she did so, Naru's eyes ghosting across the lace rimmed stockings that gripped her small thighs.

"But…I don't…" She began, blushing as Naru continued to devour her with his intense crystal eyes.

"Just try." He encouraged, kicking his own shoes off and sighing as Mai kissed his neck gently, her small hands resting on his shoulders as she knelt beside him. He felt her sliding his jacket off and watched as she tossed it on the floor before working on his shirt buttons with nervous fingers. Naru gasped as she straddled him, her lips seeking his as she slipped the shirt from his shoulders and wrapped her arms around him, mewling as she felt his skin against hers. She pulled back and pushed him onto his back gently as she moved down to his trousers, un-buckling the dark leather belt and button, then sliding the zip down. Naru raised his hips to assist her as she pulled the trousers down his legs and peeled them off, along with his socks. She blushed as she saw his erection through his black boxers and moved back to lie beside him. Her voice stuck in her throat as he turned over to face her, heat rising in her cheeks as one of his hands reached out to stroke her waist gently.

"I'm not going on top." She stated, her tone daring him to say otherwise as he smirked at her, the honey haired girl almost gasping as he pried her legs apart and lounged between them. She felt her heart pound as she looked up at him, his lower body resting against hers as he held himself up on his arms above her.

"You're still taking the lead." He insisted smugly, smirking again at her blush before leaning down to kiss her. As he leaned down Mai felt his erection press against her heated core and gasped, raising her hips into his and feeling a small stab of pleasure. She felt his hand grope for her breast and mewled as he thrust against her again. She raised her legs and wrapped them firmly around his waist, rising against him as he thrust down to her, feeling her heat increase with each meeting. The older teen paused as he felt Mai tighten her grip around his waist and shoulders, pulling him closer.

"Naru…" She sighed as he climbed off and knelt before her. He took her arms gently and sat her up, pulling her gently until she knelt before him. He gave her a warm stare as she tilted her head almost questioningly at his action. He gently reached down and pulled her knees apart, sliding his hand between her legs and stroking her with his fingers. Mai gasped and looked at the bulge in his pants, wondering if she should touch it, her cheeks turning pink as she bit her lips hesitantly. Naru watched as she reached out and paused above his boxers nervously, gasping slightly as she touched his erection, her fingers lightly tracing the shaft with her fingers, her blush deepening.

Naru inched his fingers over the waistband on her panties and slipped his fingers down to her slick core, brushing her clitoris lightly with his thumb, pressing harder as she gasped. He felt her fingers hesitate at his waistband and took her hand, pulling it into his pants and wrapping it around his erection before pulling it out, enjoying her blush as she looked at his length, her breath coming in heavy gasps as he moved his thumb and stroked her entrance. Mai tightened her grip slightly and followed his lead as he pumped her hand up and down on his shaft, letting go after a few moments to allow her to continue. Mai watched as his eyes flickered closed and he groaned. _Did I do that?_ She wondered, holding tighter and watching as he groaned again, his eyes opening to look at her lustfully, the sight frightening her a little.

"Mai." He groaned as he leaned forward and captured her lips, slipping two fingers into her entrance, feeling the silken walls closing tightly around them. Mai grimaced slightly as he pushed further until his fingers were deep within her. He kissed her neck and stroked her walls, feeling her wetness increase, and a small mewl escape her. He sighed in her ear gently as she pumped, taking her hand once again to increase the pace slightly. He pulled his fingers back and slipped them in again, working up a rhythm as she pumped. Feeling her settle into the rhythm he slowly added another finger, feeling her flinch as her maiden head ripped slightly, but he didn't stop, and she didn't ask him to. Mai mewled as Naru pulled his hand back and pushed her onto her back while he pulled her panties down and removed his own pants. Mai sat up and looked at him naked for the first time; his well toned torso as she remembered from her house, his whole body was well toned and looking down she blushed at the sight of his hardened length, the end dripping with pre-come. She blushed and gasped as Naru pulled her on top of him, amazed by his strength as he lifted her and turned her so that she was looking down at his length, her knees tucked beneath his arms. She felt herself pulled back a little as Naru adjusted her legs. _What's he doing now?_ She wondered, gasping as she felt his breath between her legs an instant before his tongue flicked her core and ran up to her clitoris where it stroked back and forth, pressing hard as she mewled.

She gripped the bed sheets and looked down at his erection, lowering herself and gripping the length, pumping slowly and licking the tip, feeling him gasp as he licked her teasingly. She slowly lowered her mouth until she had taken in as much as she could, closing her lips around him and sucking lightly. _I hope I'm doing this right…_ She thought nervously as she pulled her head back and lowered it again, feeling his fingers replace his tongue at her clitoris as his tongue slid into her entrance. She mewled in ecstasy and tried not to buck her hips as he stroked her. She felt him groan as she bobbed up and down on his length, the salty liquid from his tip increasing as his length throbbed approvingly. She felt Naru's hand in her hair, pulling her back and she turned to look at him as he pulled his fingers away from her, rolling her onto her side before kneeling over her, the honey haired girl rolling onto her back hesitantly at the unasked question in his gaze.

"Naru I…" She trailed off nervously, blushing as he took her hand and raised her palm to his soft lips.

"I'll be gentle." He promised as he, waiting for her hesitant nod before settling between her legs, feeling Mai's body shaking as he raised her legs to wrap around his slim hips. He eased forwards slowly, pausing as he positioned himself at her entrance. He moved slowly, not pausing as he felt her shudder and flinch as her maidenhead was broken. Once he was fully sheathed he stopped, holding himself above her on strained arms, kissing her shoulder and stroking her back as she cried at the pain. Within a few moments he felt her adjust and grow restless until she lifted herself against him and fell back down.

Mai gasped at the feeling of his length within her; it was a foreign feeling she couldn't put into words, but as she moved and felt him sliding in and out of her she knew she wanted more. She felt Naru's lips on her neck as she rolled up to meet him, one hand reached up to clutch her breast as the other supported his weight above her. She wrapped her arms around his larger shoulders and pulled him firmly against her, his hips rising and falling to meet hers as she moved against him. Her breaths came in heavy gasps, broken by mewls of intense pleasure as the older teen nipped and stroked all the skin within his reach. Mai gasped in surprise as Naru took more control, driving his length fully into her, forcing a mewl of pleasure from her. She wrapped her legs around him more firmly and rose her hips to meet his as he drove into her again and again, feeling him throbbing within her until with a final mewl she climaxed, her walls closing around him, milking his length as he came, still driving into her as they rode out their climax. As it ended Naru rolled to the side and lay on his back panting, wrapping his arm around Mai as she cuddled up to him.

"Naru…I love you." She purred almost hesitantly as she closed her eyes, feeling tired and drained and wanting nothing more than to curl up and sleep. Beside her Naru looked down at her sleeping form and smiled, sighing contentedly before he allowed his eyes to close.


	7. Chapter Seven

As Mai began to wake up, the first thing she realised was how cold she felt. The second was that her back was resting against something warm and soft. As she opened her eyes she realised she was naked, and jerking her head round she saw that the soft warm object was Naru's back. In the night he had rolled over, taking the duvet with him, and being wrapped in it so cosily Mai knew she wouldn't be able to pull any back to cover herself. _Besides, he looks so peaceful and cute, it would be a shame to disturb him…Not to mention mean._ She thought as she looked at him, a smile creeping across her lips. Sighing she rolled off the bed and went to her small case, where she had her silk pyjamas folded nicely. She pulled them on and lay on her back on the bed again, just managing to slip her cold feet beneath a corner of the duvet with a small sigh as she closed her eyes.

As she was drifting back to sleep she heard a groan from Naru as he turned over, resting an arm across her waist, along with some of the duvet. _Well, at least I won't get cold now…Was he waiting for me to get up and put clothes on?_ She wondered half-heartedly as she turned to Naru and settled into his embrace, which became firmer once she moved, the teen being pulled reluctantly into consciousness.

"Mai…what time is it?" Naru asked tiredly as he opened his usually piercing blue eyes and looked across at her tiredly. Mai raised herself on her elbow and looked at the clock behind him before groaning and lying back down, wondering why he hadn't just checked before turning over.

"Just gone half nine." She sighed in reply as she flopped down beside the ebony haired teen. After a few moments Naru removed his arm from her waist and sat up with a small grunt, his back feeling slightly stiff as he did so. Mai watched with a small pout as the ebony haired teen rubbed his eyes with one hand before running his fingers through his untidy locks.

"I'll use the shower." He half groaned, half sighed as he stretched and got to his feet, pulling on his dressing gown and grabbing a towel as he headed for the bathroom. Mai sighed and lay back, looking at the ceiling and tracing the swirling patterns tiredly. _Would it kill him to be a little more affectionate? I mean…we did just…_ The honey haired girl thought as she shifted over to Naru's side of the bed and buried her face in his pillow with a small smile. "Mai; can you come here?" Naru's voice called from the bathroom, pulling her from her reverie.

"Why? Do you need something?" She asked as she got to her feet, stumbling around from his side of the bed towards the bathroom door.

"An extra towel, and another bottle of shampoo." He replied, his voice slightly muffled by the sound of running water. Mai sighed and went to the dresser, where there were a lot of bottles of soaps and perfumes. After a few moments searching she found a new bottle of shampoo in the maze of bottles, and in one of the vanity drawers was another clean towel. Mai knocked on the bathroom door lightly. "Come in." Naru's voice replied over the spray of the shower.

"Are you sure you want me to come in? Are you decent?" She asked as she inched the door open and looked around the corner, but Naru wasn't in sight. _Ah; he's already in the shower._ "I'll just leave them here." She added as she put the second towel by his first and put the bottle on the toilet where he could reach it.

"Why not stay? It's a waste of water to have two showers." Naru reasoned as he pulled the curtain back enough to look at her, Mai blushing as she looked over her shoulder at his bare torso. "Lock the door and get in." He encouraged flirtatiously, almost smouldering as he tilted his head against the white curtain.

"N-Naru-I don't think-um-I'm not…" She stammered with a blush, backing towards the door at a flustered pace. With a sigh Naru climbed over the edge of the bath and walked towards Mai, who was now pressed back against the door, her face a light shade of red. She shivered as Naru pressed against her, his breath tickling her ear as he leaned down and kissed her neck lightly. _My knees are shaking…Stay up Mai! Stop being so weak minded!_ She scolded inwardly, trying to pull back and keep some control.

"Hm…How long do you think you can keep this up?" Naru asked seductively as he pressed against her more firmly, almost forcing a mewl from Mai as she felt her core grow hotter. She couldn't press herself any further back, the older teen's wet body leaving water patches on the silk of her pyjamas.

"Keep what up?" Mai asked innocently, turning her face away as he looked at her, a slight blush still tracing her features. She stiffened slightly as she felt him lean closer, his breath ghosting across her throat as he leaned in.

"Resisting me." He replied simply, leaning down to nip her ear gently, the teeth pinching and tugging the skin of her small lobe playfully.

"I'm not; maybe you're not trying hard enough." She replied dismissively as she eased him back before turning away and turning the door handle, but before she could open it she felt Naru's body press her against the door, his hand quickly pushing the bolt across before creeping to Mai's silk top to deftly unbutton the front, while his other hand slid the silk trousers and panties down. As she pushed back against him she felt his erection pressed against her rear and blushed. She felt her top slowly slide down her back and arms until it joined the rest of her clothes at her feet.

"Better?" He murmured smugly into her ear. Noticing how the depth of his voice deepened made her blush. Mai gasped and jerked back into his body as his hand reached round and his fingers slid between her legs to her opening, gently stroking her walls. The honey haired girl grimaced slightly at the string, but his gentle touch soon began to soothe her, her hands reaching out to rest against the wall. Mai felt her legs weaken, knowing that Naru was the only thing holding her up as she leaned back against his bare chest. As she felt herself slip slowly towards the floor she also felt Naru's erection slide between her cheeks,

"Naru…" Mai sighed as he lowered her to her knees, her arms resting against the wall as she knelt. Naru gently bit her shoulder and eased himself forward, his fingers still probing her entrance. Mai gasped and leaned her forehead against the cool tiles as she felt Naru's member slide into her, his fingers gently guiding him. Mai braced her arms more firmly on the tiles as Naru thrust into her from behind, the force of his thrusts almost throwing her into the wall. She felt his second hand creep up her side until it captured one of her breasts, his fingers teasing the nipple and squeezing, sometimes quite painfully. Mai mewled as she came, almost knocking her head as Naru forced her against the wall with his final thrust, his breaths coming in gasps in her ear.

"Shower." He directed as he got to his feet, pulling Mai with him. Mai followed obediently to the bath and climbed in beneath the cold spray. She shuddered as she felt Naru's seed trickling down her legs and reached for the soap, but Naru got there first and gently passed the soap up her arm and across her chest, using his other hand to knead the soap into her silken skin, his caresses gentle and caring, especially when he reached her face. Then it was Mai's turn to explore his body, her hands passing gently across his firm chest and tracing his face gently before sliding down to his toned legs and shyly sliding up and down his member, forcing a small groan from him. "We should get out soon." He eventually as Mai picked up the shampoo, taking a handful and massaging it into her head gently, her eyes closed in case the lather trickled into her eyes. Mai gasped as she felt Naru's hands take over from hers, his fingers gently massaging in circles over her head. _This is really relaxing…I could stand here all day…_ She thought, sighing as his fingers went down to the back of her neck before the cool water splashed down over her head, washing the thick white lather from her hair.

"Hey! Mai? Naru? You awake in there?" Monk-san's voice called from the other room, where Mai could hear loud knocking at the bedroom door. They were lucky they'd heard it over the running water.

"I'll go; I'm done anyway." Mai offered as she climbed over the edge of the tub, wrapping a towel around her as she headed into the bedroom. "Hold on a minute Monk-san; I'm not dressed!" She called as she quickly dried and pulled on the silk dressing gown before sliding back the bolt on the door, trying not to seem too flustered as she ran her fingers through her dripping tousled locks. "Morning! I was just getting dressed." She greeted as she opened the door and looked up at the relieved monk.

"Well, breakfast will be ready soon, so you tell Naru to get a move on okay? We need to decide what to do next." He said as he leaned on the doorframe, seeing Mai nod in agreement before growing thoughtful. The monk seemed to have been up for a while; his long hair was dry and tied back, all trace of sleep gone from his hazel eyes.

"That's true. We have no idea what Tohru will do now that Mika and Eishi are gone…Is he likely to keep attacking people? I mean, his plan failed didn't it?" Mai asked as she looked up at Monk-san, who had a thoughtful look on his face as he moved further into the room and sat on the end of the bed, crossing his legs as he folded his arms thoughtfully. It was hard to say what would happen next.

"It did, but revenge is also an option; remember we ruined his plans, he may not be satisfied until he's taken his revenge on us." Naru's voice replied from the bathroom door, where he stood with a towel round his waist, his short ebony locks dripping on his shoulders.

"Oh; morning Naru. Well, we can talk more later. Right now you two need to get dressed and down to the breakfast table…Masako has been quite miffed since last night; seems her date disappeared half way through the evening…As a matter of fact, I don't remember seeing you either Mai." Monk-san said teasingly, examining Mai's face for any trace of emotion that may give her away, feeling quite triumphant as a small blush began forming across her cheeks as she turned away. _Damnit Monk-san! I'm going to kill you!_

"We'd had quite a tiring day. Well…I'm not sure about Mai, but I had, and I wanted to sleep. Mai was kind enough to agree to an early night." Naru replied simply as he walked across to his side of the bed and pulled his case onto the bed. The monk turned to scrutinise the young man, examining him as he flipped open his case and pointedly ignored the older man. Not a trace of guilt or embarrassment was visible in his pale features.

"Oh? And nothing else happened aside from that? Nothing at all?" The monk pried, keeping a close eye on Mai, who he knew was blushing bright red right now, and the glare that Naru sent his way made it even clearer that they were hiding something. "Well, it's about time." He added as he made to close the door as he left.

"What's 'about time?'" Mai asked as she turned to look at him, the blush still not completely faded from her cheeks. The older man paused with an amused sigh as he looked at her warmly from the doorway.

"Oh, you know." Monk-san replied as he pulled the door shut, leaving Mai feeling slightly clueless. She stared at the door for a few moments, her hand idly tracing the silken neckline of her robe.

"Come on, get dressed." Naru ordered as he buttoned his black shirt.

"Right." Mai replied as she went to rummage through her own clothes. _I wonder what we'll do…Tohru didn't attack us last night, but he may have been affected by John's exorcism; not to mention the wards we have around our rooms. There were a lot of people here last night, and still will be today…Will he show himself with all these people around? But then maybe he's given up…but that doesn't seem like him…I'm going in circles here…I hope Naru has more of an idea…_ She thought as she dressed slowly, not noticing Naru's impatient glances as he sat on the bed waiting for her to finish dressing. She didn't even realise she's tugged her short on inside out as she gazed at the wall thoughtfully, her fingers trying to figure out the buttons.

"You really shouldn't try to think and do something else at the same time." Naru sighed as he got to his feet and walked over to her, tugging the shirt down her shoulders.

"Hm?" Mai asked, having been too busy thinking as opposed to listening. She blushed as she tugged her shirt from of Naru's grip, realising as he pointed that it was inside out. Naru gave her an amused smirk as she swiftly righted herself.

"Never mind, just hurry up." The blue eyed teen replied, pausing at the door as Mai hurried over from the bed, where she had just pulled on some white socks, which were mostly hidden by her trousers. He was almost disappointed at her choice, except the material hugged her hips and rear quite nicely.

"Hey, Naru? If we just leave do you think Tohru will go back to the way he was before? You know, dormant?" Mai asked as they walked down the stairs side by side. Naru took on his usual thoughtful expression as he turned Mai's idea over in his head.

"To be honest I'm not sure. It seems that Tohru is bound to this house by the events of the past, so it's unlikely that his spirit could wander far, even while it's possessing someone, but that wouldn't stop him from causing trouble to lure us back here…" He replied, gasping and reaching out as Mai tripped with a small shriek. Mai, who had closed her eyes as she tripped forward, bracing herself against the tumble she felt would come, opened her eyes to find herself safely in Naru's arms.

"N-Naru! I…thank you." She stammered as she regained her footing, Naru's hands staying firmly on her waist. With her standing on the next step up she had the unusual advantage of being at his eye level, pools of blue staring straight into her hazel eyes. Mai let her hands rest on his strong shoulders, quite content to remain as they were.

"Klutz." Naru scoffed teasingly as Mai blushed angrily, enjoying the feeling of her trembling in his arms as she tried to think of a retort, the hands that had been resting on his shoulders gripping the material of his shirt tightly. With a quiet laugh he leaned forward and kissed her gently, feeling her melt into his embrace, all thoughts of anger swept from her mind.

"Hey! Are you two going to stand there all day? What are you doing?" Monk-san called from the bottom of the stairs, unable to see for sure, but also quite sure he knew what they were doing. Mai blushed and pulled back as Naru leaned over the railing and looked down at the Monk, his hands still wrapped loosely around Mai's waist as her hands remained resting on his shoulders.

"We're on our way down." He replied curtly, not impressed at the interruption.

"Yeah; sure you were." Monk-san replied mischievously as he headed back into the living room, where the others were waiting. Mai and Naru entered the living room and saw that everyone involved in the case was already there; John was in his usual arm chair, Masako and Ayako were on the sofa, Lin was in another arm chair and Monk-san was sitting on the floor at Ayako's feet with Fai beside him. Naru glanced at the space next to Masako and walked past, opting to lean on the arm of the sofa while Mai took the seat, receiving a small glare from Masako, who had obviously intended for Naru to take the seat beside her.

"Takigawa, my laptop please." Naru said expectantly, looking down at the monk, who passed up the slender laptop to Masako, who in turned handed it to Naru. Naru opened it and waited a while before typing in his password, he then handed the laptop to Mai. "Mai, please take notes." He instructed, seeing her nod as she opened a document to type on. "Firstly Hara-san, you've only been here one day, but in that time have you felt anything?" Naru asked, glancing down at Mai, who was focused on the task at hand, small frown marks marring her brow as she almost squinted at the screen.

"I do. There is a spirit here, both strong and evil. I've never felt anything like this before; there is so much hatred and animosity in his heart…I don't think he can be saved…" She replied, bringing up her arm so that the blue kimono sleeve hid her pained expression. It was a gesture of modesty they'd come to associate with the young medium.

"Is he likely to attack again?" Naru asked as he rested a hand across the back of the sofa behind Mai's head. Usually the younger girl would notice his closeness, the way his arm almost touched her shoulder blade, but she didn't react at all, not even as he allowed his arm to brush her top.

"Yes, though right now he is too weak; he is in pain." She replied quietly as she closed her eyes and allowed the feelings to flood her senses. She couldn't help the small shudder that passed through her delicate form at the darkness that plagued her mind. It made her feel cold, afraid and disgusted all at the same time.

"That must be from the exorcism; he fought against it so much that it must have harmed him." John added in an unsurprised tone as he sat on the edge of the chair, his attention riveted on the discussion. Secretly he tried not to let it bother him, the fact that he'd injured the spirit. It wasn't that the spirit deserved sympathy, but the young Australian hated using his powers to do harm. Accidental or not.

"I agree. That was his last chance, the only way he could stop Mika from being free and forever trap her soul. He used almost all of his energy then, only letting go when he had no other choice." Naru decided as Mai typed away at the keys quietly and Lin watched the proceedings carefully. He was beginning to form his own idea of what was to come, and possible ways to handle the situation when it arose.

"Would exorcising the spirit from the house work?" Monk-san asked thoughtfully; it wouldn't be the first time they'd done something like that to purify a spirit, but Naru shook his head. It seemed he'd already thought of the simplest solutions.

"Exorcising a spirit this evil would merely displace it…I'm not absolutely certain of this, but I am fairly sure…" He replied thoughtfully, his eyes looking towards the young Australian exorcist for confirmation. John looked startled for a moment at the sudden attention, but opened his mouth to answer.

"Naru is correct. The only way to rid the house of this spirit so that it can harm no one else is to bind it and then burn the artefact it's bound to." Lin interrupted, trying to ignore Masako's horrified expression, a feeling he may have shared had this not been a spirit of such evil. Spirits that had been corrupted over time he could sympathise with, but those that were evil in life and continued to hurt people after death he couldn't bring himself to forgive.

"If that's the case then wouldn't it be best to get him now when he's weak?" Monk-san asked, feeling a similar lack of empathy for his particular spirit. He looked over at Lin for confirmation, which he received in the form of a small nod.

"It would, and we will if all agree…I mainly required Masako's confirmation of his intent to attack again. Had this not been his intent I may have explored other options, but a spirit of this much evil must be stopped at all costs; correct Hara-san?" Lin asked as he looked at the medium, an uncharacteristic gesture of concern for the Chinese man. Masako met his dark eyes reluctantly before nodding reluctantly.

"Good, then it's settled. Lin will perform the binding as soon as possible. Hara-san, you may leave if you wish." He added as he watched a shiver run through the young woman, receiving a grateful nod as the medium got to her feet. Mai looked up as a wave of ice shot through her, looking to the side as Masako froze, her chocolate eyes snapped wide.

"Masako?" Mai asked warily as she turned away from the laptop, suddenly feeling that something was very wrong. She watched the medium stiffen slightly, her delicate hand clenching into a tight fist. _What's going on? She's ok, right?_

**" _Silence girl! I'm not Masako!_ "** Masako's voice snapped darkly as she turned and glared down at Mai in a way she had never thought possible of Masako. They hadn't particularly liked each other at first, but even then small frowns and pouts were the worst things to cross the young medium's features.

"It is Tohru!" Lin realised as he got to his feet and faced the spirit, who seemed almost smug as she looked at the tall man. John slowly got to his feet, his hand reaching for the small vial of Holy water he kept in his pocket. He froze as Masako turned and pointed at him. On the floor, Monk-san and Fai shifted away from Masako warily, and even Ayako moved further back in her seat.

**" _Stay there priest! Or I will kill the girl!_ "** Tohru ordered as his aura obscured Masako from view. They could now see the dark figure of Tohru shrouded with an almost purple hue. The spirit sent a sharp glare at Ayako and Monk-san too. **" _That goes for you as well!_ "** He added as he looked down at Fai, who looked back up fearfully, falling back onto his elbows as Tohru stepped closer.

"Leave him! It was not he who broke your curse." Lin stated calmly, drawing Tohru's eyes to him instead. The spirit sized up the Chinese man, hated seething from every pore as he glared at the spiritualist. Lin tried to hide his concern as he waited for the spirit to respond; he couldn't exorcise Tohru from Masako without the risk of killing her, and he didn't want the spirit to realise that.

**" _You are quite right. I should deal with you before any other for your interference!_ "** Tohru cried as he launched at Lin, leaving Masako's body to do so. Masako fell weakly into Monk-san's waiting arms as Mai watched Tohru run at Lin, who seemed oblivious to the danger. His dark eyes seemed almost confused as he watched Masako fall, relaxing slightly as he wondered is the spirit had chosen to postpone its revenge.

"Lin-san! He's running right for you! Look out!" Mai cried as Tohru reached out ready to plunge his faded ethereal hand into Lin's chest, but before he could do so a white orb blocked his blow, and was quickly joined by two others. "What are they?" Mai wondered aloud as she watched the three orbs twist and twirl around Tohru as he thrashed at them in annoyance.

"You can see them? They're Lin's shikigami; much like the western familiar spirits. An onmyodo can summon them to serve and protect him; Lin has five of these familiars." Naru replied as the orbs of light fought Tohru off, a small look of relief and gratitude crossing Lin's features as he took a step back. It seemed he was able to see Tohru now as he watched his shiki work.

"I see; so they're spirits." Mai realised, receiving an unnecessary nod from Naru. Mai froze as Tohru turned to glare her and began running towards her, Naru's hand gripping her shirt to pull her away. "Oh no you don't! Rin-pyou-tou-sha-kai-jin-retsu-zai-zen!" Mai chanted, moving her hands in the repelling motions; relieved as Tohru backed off towards Lin again. It seemed he had momentarily forgotten about the shikigami, which immediately attacked him from behind. Mai watched in astonishment as Lin took the black magic book Tohru had used from his jacket and began chanting in Chinese.

It was a good spell; Mai wasn't sure how she knew, but the words didn't sound dark and harsh as Tohru's had. They sounded beautiful, in a way almost tuneful. Tohru's spirit cried out in pain as the shikigami surrounded it and began forcing it towards the book. John knelt beside Masako and took her hand as she covered her eyes, not wanting to watch the death of the spirit, but somehow Mai felt that Lin's soft words couldn't kill, and she was right since as she watched she saw Tohru slowly pulled into the pages of the book. She still felt his presence; it was just wrapped in a white aura.

"Is it over?" Ayako asked warily from where she sat at the end of the sofa; not being able to see all types of spirits she wasn't sure what had happened, but she had the feeling it was over from the way Mai relaxed and Masako peered over her kimono sleeve. The young medium only noticed then that John was still holding her other hand in a warm and assuring grip, a small comfort she wasn't ready to relinquish yet.

"Yes. Now all we need to do is purify and burn the book; then get dispose of the ashes in a river, or at least cleanse them in water." Naru replied systematically, only then releasing the grip he'd held on Mai's top. He almost lost his train of thought as they honey haired girl looked over her shoulder at him and smiled, a smile that said 'thank you' and 'I'm ok' at the same time.

"Holy water will cleanse the ashes." John added as he released Masako and swiftly returned to his seat, receiving a nod from Naru as he ran a hand through his blonde locks and tried to ignore the pink in his cheeks. On the floor, Masako his her face behind her sleeve as she tried to seat herself in a slightly more poised position with her knees bent in front of her.

"Alright; I'll go burn it now. Want to come along in case something goes wrong Lin-san?" Monk-san asked as he got to his feet to begin preparations, offering to take the book from the Chinese man as he held his hand out. Lin kept the book in his grasp as he nodded.

"I will." He replied as he followed Monk-san from the room. Mai was surprised how steady Lin was; using his shiki must have drained at least a little of his energy, but as he left the room his step was so firm that she couldn't tell.

"Will all of this be over once the book is gone?" Fai asked from his place on the floor, his voice both hesitant and hopeful. He seemed exhausted by the whole experience, though Mai couldn't blame him; he'd been possessed numerous times over the past few days.

"Yes; Tohru's spirit is now bound to that book. If the book is burned and purified the spirit will die." Naru replied confidently, gently touching Mai's arms with his hands as he leaned on the arm of the sofa. He hid a small smile as the younger girl leaned back slightly so that her head brushed his chest.

"Well, I'll get your breakfast; it should be ready soon." Fai decided as he got to his feet and stretched, a weight lifted from his shoulders. Masako slowly got to her feet, her legs shaking as she almost fell down. She would have if John hadn't all but leapt into her path, catching her firmly against his chest. She hadn't realised how toned the young exorcist was before. Without a word John swept the clearly spent medium into his arms. He was so gentle, as if handling a doll made of glass.

"Thank you John. I believe I will rest a while; I feel so tired…" Masako murmured weakly as she leaned into John's embrace, the Australian barely catching her words. She hadn't even had the energy to raise the kimono sleeve to cover her pale cheeks.

"I'll take her to her room." John decided as he headed to the door, joined quickly by Ayako. The redhead opened the door for the laden down exorcist, though he didn't seem to have any trouble with Masako's weight. Ayako paused and looked back from the doorway as she left.

"I'll help the monk." She said, closing the door behind her. Mai took the chance to lean into Naru's chest, the hunter looking down at her with a warm expression before motioning for her to move along, which she did gladly. Once he was beside her he wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her arm gently. Mai almost sighed as she leaned into his embrace, her eyes closing contentedly.

"I'm glad Lin was able to bind Tohru this time around; if we'd waited and he'd regained his strength I'm not sure Lin would have been able to…" Naru said as Mai reached out and rested her hand on his knee gently, her gentle squeeze putting him at ease. She felt Naru lean his head on hers, his warm breath toying with her hair.

"He seemed fine to me; and he only used three of his shikigami." Mai replied positively, _not to mention he didn't stagger or stumble at all when he left; Lin-san must be really strong!_

"Exactly; meaning the other two were busy elsewhere. The shikigami can also borrow power from Lin when they need it, sapping his energy. I could see that fight taking its toll on him, though he tried to hide it." Naru explained, seeing an expression of surprise creep onto Mai's face as she looked out of the window. Snow still coated the trees and grass, but the drive was beginning to clear. It wasn't surprising considering the amount of cars that had driven up and down in in the past few days.

"I feel a little bad…I didn't do anything to help, and Lin-san was fighting really hard and having his energy drained to save us…" Mai thought aloud, feeling Naru stroke her back gently. _Is…something wrong?_ She wondered as she felt Naru's hand pause almost hesitantly mid stroke, his fingers pressing more firmly against her spine.

"That can't be helped; after all you don't have the skills he does, but I'm sure Lin knows you would have helped; that all of us would. He has a habit of knowing things like that…" He replied assuringly, Mai's gaze shifting to his warily. _I don't know why but…I feel…worried?_ Mai thought as she noticed something slightly distant in Naru's eyes. _Come on! Tohru's been dealt with, right? So that's it!_

"So this is it? Case closed?" Mai asked hopefully as she looked up into Naru's crystal eyes, trying to push away the wariness in her chest. It was strange, suddenly Naru looked uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat and dropped his gaze almost guiltily.

"Yes, case closed…but Mai, there's something you have to know…" He said in a serious tone as he sat up and turned her to face him. _So…it isn't case related?_ She thought, feeling something turn in the pit of her stomach as Naru raised his eyes to look at her.

"What is it Naru?" She asked worriedly, not liking the guilty look in his eye, nor the sympathy that flowed with it. She watched as, for the first time in memory, Naru stammered. He opened his mouth to speak and tripped. _Naru doesn't want to say it…_ Mai thought, knowing it had to be serious if Naru, of all people, couldn't say it.

"I should have told you sooner, but with the case I didn't want to add to your grief and worry, and I'm sorry about that…but…It's your father…" He said gently, seeing Mai's eyes widen in horror. He didn't want her to look at him like that; her eyes begged him to stop there even as she knew he had to continue. "There was an accident." He added, looking away, not wanting to continue, and then Mai remembered. _Oh God! The radio! It was him…He was the one in the car!_ She cried inwardly, remembering the news report on the radio the day she and Naru had gone to get their clothes, the day she had seen Naru's home. "Mai, I'm so sorry; I should have told you sooner, but I didn't know how to tell you." Naru apologised quickly as he watched the colour drain from her skin.

"Is…Did…He's…Did he die?" She choked, not needing Naru to say anything as his eyes closed and he turned his face away. _He's really gone…I…I can't believe it…_ She thought numbly, feeling her throat catch. It hurt. The ache rose up her throat as she tried not to let out the feeling. She gritted her teeth as she felt tears rising in her eyes. She tilted her head, trying to tip the tears back into her eyes. She didn't want to let it out.

"Don't." Was all Naru whispered as he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as he felt the dam break. She fisted her hands in his shirt as sobs wracked her small form, tears quickly soaking his shirt.


	8. Chapter Eight

"How is she?" Ayako asked later that evening as Naru closed the door of their bedroom. Mai listened from her place on the bed where she lay curled up on her side, tears still streaming down her cheeks from sore red eyes. Her ribs ached from her constant crying; so did her throat. Even her lungs hurt. The sobs had subsided for the moment, and her breathing was just about levelling out as she stared vacantly at the wall, her vision blurring and clearing every time she blinked.

"Not good…but she'll get there." Naru replied quietly from the other side of the door. She couldn't tell, but she thought he'd be slumped against it tiredly. He hadn't left her side all day besides to get drinks and use the bathroom; he'd even had some food sent up, but they hadn't eaten. He wouldn't eat unless she did it seemed, and she wasn't really hungry.

"Maybe she shouldn't be alone…Everyone's really worried about her, maybe we should take turns sitting with her…" Ayako thought aloud, knowing from Naru's sagging frame that he could use a break. Mai shifted her glance to the door, able to imagine the worried look on Ayako's face as she looked at the carpeted floor. _I can't believe I'm being so selfish! I've been in here all day, and I've made everyone worry again! And Naru; he's been with me all day when he could have been researching or supervising the purification, but he had to stay with me…I'm always troubling him…_ Mai thought as she sat up stiffly and stumbled to the bathroom with protesting ribs. Her body didn't really want to straighten up, her spine objecting as she stretched and took a pained breath.

Turning on the tap she splashed her face with cold water, swallowing the sore dryness in her throat as she looked at her tired pale skin. The red of her eyes looked terrible; they were really bloodshot. Taking a deep breath she returned to the bedroom and headed for the door, running her fingers through her tousled locks before reaching for the door handle, hesitating as she looked at the white wooden surface. _Come on Mai! You can do this!_ She encouraged inwardly as she opened the door with a bright smile on her face, surprising both Naru and Ayako with her sudden appearance, the ebony haired teen only just catching his balance as he felt the door he'd been leaning on move.

"Oh! Sorry; I didn't mean to scare you. How did the purification go?" She asked brightly, seeing a worried look pass from Ayako to Naru, who acknowledged it with a slight nod. Mai waited patiently, swallowing the rising ache in her throat. _Don't even think about it! You've been crying all day!_ She scolded inwardly, keeping her outwardly cheerful appearance.

"It went well, but Lin and Monk-san are both exhausted; John's a little tired too. They all worked hard today." Ayako replied awkwardly as Mai headed for the stairs, choosing to ignore the older woman's discomfort. Ayako turned to speak to Naru as the honey haired girl hurried off, but thought better of it as she noticed the tightness of his jawline.

"At least it's over now, right? When's dinner? I'm starving!" Mai exclaimed as she bounded down the stairs, Naru and Ayako hurrying to keep up with her. She certainly seemed energetic. As she reached the bottom of the stairs Fai walked out of the kitchen, giving Mai a warm but slightly surprised smile as she caught sight of him.

"Ah; Mai! I hope you're hungry, dinner is ready." Fai informed in an overly cheerful tone that almost matched her own. It wasn't that he was particularly upset, but he wasn't sure what he should say or how he should act in this situation. He was relieved when he was Ayako and Naru coming to join them. Mai smiled brightly and looked back at Ayako and Naru.

"Great! Let's eat…What's wrong Ayako?" Mai asked, seeing her worried expression again, though this time it was directed straight at Mai. Not wanting to worry the older woman, Mai poured more brightness into her smile, which never really reached her eyes. It was a skill Naru had always possessed; the ability to fool others into believing your smile was real, but Mai was too honest to do it properly.

"Mai; you don't have to pretend…You must be really upset right now! You just lost your father…" Ayako replied comfortingly, putting a hand on Mai's shoulder gently, but Mai just smiled and turned away. She looked at the wall as she realised she'd come face to face with Fai. She tilted her head up slightly, swallowing down the ache again. Naru watched the slightest quiver run across Mai's shoulders before she looked back with a smile.

"Oh that…Don't worry, I'm fine! I've been crying all day, but I'm fine now!" She insisted as she headed for the dining room. Ayako watched Mai go and sighed before following with Naru close behind, his own thoughts hidden firmly behind his neutral mask. At the table Mai was outwardly cheerful. She asked the three tired men how they were, all of them replying that they were fine with less enthusiasm than usual, especially Monk-san, who was usually the life and soul of the group. This evening he was subdued, throwing her prying looks throughout the meal. Masako was also at the table, still a little pale, but otherwise fine, though she too seemed bothered by something. It was a quiet meal, the atmosphere feeling heavy despite Mai's attempt to be bright. Naru watched as she slowly choked down some food. _Come on! Keep it together!_

"Mai. Can I have a minute?" Monk-san asked as they all began to leave the table, Mai's food barely half touched. Mai waited beside her chair as everyone else filed out quickly, John and Masako deep in conversation, Lin and Naru scanning through papers and talking in subdued tones, while Ayako yawned and stretched as she reached the door saying something about an early night. Once they were gone Monk-san made his way over to Mai and put his hands on her smaller shoulders. "What is this all of a sudden? I know you; you're way too sensitive to be all cheery right now." He pried gently in what Mai had come to know as his 'big brother' tone.

"Monk-san…Don't worry; I'm okay; really!" Mai insisted, watching the monk suppress his irritation as he leaned in and bumped his forehead against hers affectionately.

"Mai; don't lie to me! Why are you pretending like this?" Monk-san implored with warm and worried hazel orbs, but Mai still smiled, taking his hands from her shoulders gently. She clutched them tightly, her grip just barely shaking to reveal the fragility beneath.

"Thank you for worrying about me all the time, but I'm really okay." She replied stiffly before heading to the door. Monk-san sighed and walked with her, opening the door to find Naru and Lin. Lin was just on his way into the living room while Naru seemed to intend to remain in the hall. As the dining room door opened both men paused and looked over,

"Hey Lin; wait up!" Monk-san called as he hurried over, laying a hand on Naru's shoulder as he went by. Naru looked up at the older man, seeing from his concerned expression that he'd had no luck getting Mai to talk. "You're up." The monk muttered as he and Lin walked into the living room and closed the door, already talking about the papers Lin had been examining.

"I'm going to bed. Will you come with me?" Naru asked as he headed to the stairs, his tone suggesting it was more of an order than a request. "Lin thinks it best to remain in groups for now just in case..." He added as he looked back at Mai expectantly. The younger girl seemed about to object as a slight frown marred her features. "I really am tired." Naru insisted in a gentler tone, succeeding in swaying Mai's decision.

"Alright…I was a little sleepy anyway." She replied as she joined Naru on the stairs and they began to walk up in silence. The silence remained between them, an awkward silence. Mai could tell that Naru wanted to ask her something, but to pry would mean interrupting his thoughts. The anticipation made the atmosphere heavy and uncomfortable; she wasn't sure she wanted to be alone with him. As they entered the room Mai dove onto the bed and lay on her side facing the wall, wondering how long it would take Naru to fall asleep.

"Mai…You're making everyone worry again. Do us all a favour and grieve properly; we know you're faking." Naru scolded matter-of-factly as he sat on the edge of the bed and pulled off his shirt. Mai peered over her shoulder at him as he sat with his back to her, her eyes overlooking the bare skin that faced her. _I made them worry again? They weren't supposed to worry…Oh God; don't you dare Mai-chan! Not again!_ Mai threatened inwardly as her eyes slowly filled with tears, streams suddenly overflowing the edge of her eyes and over the bridge of her nose onto the pillow. She quickly turned away, her face hidden in the pillow as she gritted her teeth. "Mai?" Naru's voice called uncertainly as he lay down on his side, his hand on her shoulder trying to gently pull her over so that he could see her face. _No! Don't do that! Please stop!_ She begged inwardly as she resisted his touch, feeling her body shudder as she held her breath, willing the sobs to stop. _Oh god he knows! I can't stop crying…_ She thought as she cried, feeling sobs wrack her body as she let out the breath she had been holding. Naru didn't say a word. She felt a high sigh on the back of her neck as he moved in closer, one arm sneaking across her waist while the other somehow slipped beneath her arm. She felt his hold tighten as he pulled her to his chest securely, his hair tickling her ear as he leaned down to place gentle kisses on her clothed shoulder and throat. As her back rested against his chest Mai found she couldn't resist any more. She reached up and gripped the arm across her chest as she cried helplessly in his arms.

 

* * *

 

"Mai…" A familiar voice called softly. Mai opened her eyes slowly and sat up, expecting to see Naru in the bed beside her, but he was gone. _But…this is the bed in our room, right? She where'd he go?_ She wondered as she looked around. "Mai." The voice said again, but closer this time, and as Mai looked at the foot of the bed she saw a familiar figure.

"Dad…" Mai exclaimed in shock as her father walked towards her, his short brown hair brushed neatly as she remembered, his suit clean and fresh and his green eyes piercing. "You're…" She began slowly, her mind still processing what she was seeing. Her father looked down at her, his gaze apologetic and warm.

"Here to say good bye." He finished for her as he sat on the bed beside her, stroking her cheek gently as tears slipped down from her eyes. _Stupid Mai! This is the last time you'll see him! Stop crying like a baby!_ She scolded inwardly, her father almost seeming to read her thoughts as he gave her a weak smile. "I'm sorry I missed Christmas…It seems I always let you down." He apologised as he pulled her into his arms and stroked her hair as she cried, reaching up to grip the jacket of his suit.

"You're wrong! You're wrong! Don't say that! Don't ever say that!" Mai cried as she looked into her father's eyes, hoping that he could see love and honesty through the tears. "You worked so hard for me all the time; I couldn't ask for more!" She insisted, seeing a smile grace her father's face, his eyes warm as they always had been. _There's so much I want to say…that I need to say…_

"Thank you, my little Mai…My time is short, but I must warn you. They know, and they are coming for you as your only legal guardians." Her father added urgently as he started to fade. Mai reached out desperately, trying to clutch the edge of his jacket before he disappeared. She gripped the material, holding tightly to pull him back, but then it was gone, like smoke.

"No! Dad wait! Don't leave me!" She cried as he disappeared, leaving her alone on the bed reaching for thin air. She buried her face in the covers and cried heavily, feeling a gentle hand on her shoulder. At first she dared to hope that he had come back, but as she looked up she found Naru beside her, fully dressed sitting where her father had been. She didn't need to see the aura to know she was still dreaming.

"I'm sorry Mai; I didn't think that this would hurt you so…I thought seeing your father once more would…" He began regretfully as he looked at the white covers, but Mai grabbed his sleeve tightly and looked up at him with a small teary smile. He supported her as she pulled herself up, surprised as she pulled him closer and leaned her head on his shoulder, her arms slipping around his waist assuringly.

"Don't apologise…It was the greatest gift I could ever ask for." She replied, to which Naru smiled softly and stroked her hair, his head leaning against hers as he took in her scent. _Naru…He's always so warm in my dreams…_

"It's a little late, but Merry Christmas Mai." He murmured softy before lowering Mai down on the bed, his hand tracing her pale cheek gently as he smiled down at her. "Now close your eyes." He soothed gently as his hand slowly slipped away. Mai obliged and let her eyes slide shut.

 

* * *

 

_They're coming for me…Those words…Why do they make me feel so…scared?_ Mai wondered as she slowly regained consciousness. _They…They who? I know…I do, but…Why is it so hard to think? Could he mean…_ Mai sat up gasping in terror, her eyes wide as she remembered their faces. At her sudden movement she hadn't even noticed that she'd thrown Naru's arms from her waist and jostled him awake.

"Mai! Are you alright?" Naru asked as she sat with her eyes locked on a far spot of the wall, gradually calming down. "Did you have a nightmare?" He pried gently as he sat up and put a hand on her shoulder, pulling back as she jerked in surprise. She looked like she'd seen a ghost, and not the good kind.

"Something like that." She replied sheepishly as she fell back with her head on the pillows, her short hair fanned out, framing her pale face. Naru ran his fingers through her hair, caressing her cheek gently as he tried to offer her comfort.

"Whatever it is you know I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere. I'll take care of you." He soothed as he leaned down and kissed her cheek gently, his lips slowly creeping up to just below her ear as one arm wrapped around her waist and stroked her hip.

"You might not be able to this time." She whispered to herself as she looked up at the ceiling. "Nothing." She replied to Naru's inquisitive hum, pressing her lips to his and stroking his bare chest. "Make me feel safe." She said quietly into his ear, feeling his arms wrap around her before pulling her tightly against his chest, his hand stroking up and down her back soothingly. Mai moaned and pressed against him, feeling soothed and somehow excited by the motions on her back.

"Is safe all you want?" Naru asked boldly, Mai blushing as she pictured the smirk that was on his face right now. As an answer Mai fell onto her back, pulling Naru on top of her, her hands on his shoulders as he held himself above her. "I'll take that as a no then." He decided almost smugly as he kissed her, moving down from her lips to her neck, unbuttoning her shirt and slipping it off before moving onto the white lace bra. She felt him slowly working his way down to her breasts where he paused, nipping and suckling the nipples. He stroked lower with his hand until he reached the band of her skirt, unzipping it and pulling it down, along with her panties before stroking up the inside of her thigh until his hand was between her legs. Mai shivered as his fingers stroked along her core, biting her lip as he finally slid his fingers in and out of her entrance slowly. He enjoyed the steady increase of her breathing from short quick breaths to heavier deeper breaths and finally to urgent gasps with a few small moans escaping her lips as his fingers stroked and caressed her inner walls.

"Naru!" She gasped urgently, the hands on his shoulders tightening their grip painfully, her nails digging roughly into the skin. With a smirk Naru pulled his pants off, positioning himself at her entrance before pressing his lips against hers roughly and sliding into her entrance, rocking back and forth teasingly as Mai gasped and shut her eyes tightly, leaning her head back into the pillow and allowing Naru access to her neck as she did so. He buried his face in her throat, licking and biting the skin gently, feeling one of Mai's hands travel across his shoulder to the back of his neck, keeping him there. With another small smirk Naru increased the pace of his thrusts, feeling Mai's walls shudder as she reached the edge, her nails piercing the skin of his shoulder as she came, his thrusts increasing in speed as they rode out their orgasm before Naru pulled out and went to roll off, but Mai's hand stopped him. "Stay here." She said tiredly as she pulled him down.

"Mai, I'll crush you." Naru objected as he pulled back, but the look of need in her eyes was too much for him, so he slowly lowered his body onto hers, his head resting beside hers on the pillow, his chest pressing down on hers as he lay between her legs. "Are you alright?" He asked worriedly as he settled, feeling her nod beside him as he closed his eyes. Mai remained awake looking at the ceiling, her heartbeat quickening. _I have to leave…but is there really any point? They're my legal guardians now; they'll be perfectly within their rights to have the police search for me…Nothing would happen if I told the police either; they have people on the inside to make sure of that…In that case I really am…I should stay here and enjoy the time I have left...before…_ She thought, jerking as there was a loud knock on the door.

"Mai! Naru! We have problems!" Monk-san called urgently as he opened the door, freezing in shock as he saw the pair. Naru was still lying on top of Mai, both covered in sweat with the blanket dishevelled beneath their naked bodies and discarded clothing scattered across the bed and floor where Naru had tossed it. "But I should just…wait in the hall." The monk added sheepishly as he stepped back and closed the door. Naru and Mai looked at each other and blushed, partially embarrassed, but amused at the same time. _There's no talking our way out of this one; Monk-san will spread it within five minutes!_ Mai thought in embarrassment.

"Come on; we have to get up." Naru said neutrally as he got to his feet and went to the bathroom, turning on the shower before coming back. "We'll share; it'll be quicker." He added, watching as Mai pulled back the covers and stumbled over to him quickly, both of them being quick to wash and dress before stepping out into the corridor, where Monk-san stood waiting for them, leaning on the railing.

"As I was saying, we have a major problem!" Monk-san repeated, stepping in pace with Naru as he headed towards the stairs. Naru remained silent, his attention riveted on Monk-san as they went, any talk of what the older man had seen postponed until they'd dealt with whatever had happened. "The purification definitely worked; there's no doubt about that, but Masako can feel him. He's still here!" Monk-san continued urgently. Mai watched as Naru paused, his eyes wide at the news.

"But that's…not possible…" He replied in disbelief, seeing Monk-san's impatient nod.

"I know; that's why it's a problem!" The older man said, pulling Naru's arm as he headed down the stairs. _Tohru is…still here?_ Mai thought as she looked up and down the deserted stairs and shivered, wondering if Masako was right while hoping that for once she was wrong. "Mai! Keep up!" Monk-san ordered as he looked back to see Mai standing half way up the stairs. It wasn't safe to be alone, not is Masako was right.

"Right!" Mai replied, running quickly down to him and walking with them into the living room where everyone else was sat looking worried and sombre.

"Hara-san!" Naru almost snapped as he stood beside Lin and looked over at the dark haired girl perched on the edge of the sofa. Mai sat beside Masako, also worried by the situation. Noting her distress, Mai laid a gentle hand on the medium's shoulder.

"It's faint, but he's definitely here!" She insisted, holding her kimono sleeve so that it hid her face as she shuddered. Mai closed her eyes and focused. _I know I'm not a medium like Masako, but we have sensed the same thing before…Maybe I can confirm it…_ She thought as she sat beside Masako, not sure of what she was supposed to do. She should listen, but all she heard was the talking around her; and as for feeling, she could feel what she was feeling; uncertainty and fear of what might happen next; but not anything outside of herself. _Maybe this isn't helping._ She sighed inwardly as she prepared to open her eyes, and it was as she opened her eyes that she felt a deep fear in her heart and thought she saw a flash of Tohru's image before her eyes as they opened.

"Mai?" Naru asked with masked concern as she snapped her eyes open and gasped, the hand on Masako's shoulder tightening almost protectively. The figure had been so close to them.

"Masako's right; he's here! I don't know how or why but he's here!" Mai confirmed, seeing Naru give Lin a deeply troubled look. They're trapped his soul and destroyed it; there was no way he could still be there _. Unless…_

"You don't think he…" Monk-san began as he looked up at Lin from his place on the floor at Ayako's feet. Lin looked thoughtfully at the carpet, obviously troubled as John looked between the older men in confusion.

"It seems likely at this point. It's the only explanation, but what purpose would it serve?" Lin wondered thoughtfully, until his eyes snapped wide as he realised. "Of course! How could I not have realised!" He cursed as he got to his feet, clenching his fist in agitation.

"What is it?" Ayako asked, not liking the sound of Lin's voice. She wasn't the only one; Mai had never seen Lin so angry with himself.

"He split his soul." Lin replied, knowing that he should have considered this option earlier.

"How could he split his soul?" Mai asked in confusion, watching Naru give his trademark sigh as he looked at her.

"For Mai's sake I'll explain. Powerful sorcerers of a certain level can split their soul. It's very dark magic; the idea is to trade a limb for each split you make, so normally that maximum is four, unless you intend to die right then and there, then it can be six; the arms, legs, head and body. The idea is that if one part of your wandering soul is destroyed then there will be others to take its place. There is little point in splitting your soul too much, otherwise there will be no presence behind the soul, just a shadow or an after image; like now with Tohru. His presence is faint. What Lin believes is that because a small portion of the soul has survived it is now slowly drawing back the lost part that we destroyed; slowly reforming back into a complete and even more powerful being." Naru explained, seeing the horrified expressions slowly creeping onto his assistant's faces as they grasped the meaning of what he was saying.

"But if he's more powerful then Lin-san might not be able to handle him, especially after last time!" Monk-san exclaimed as he got to his feet, knowing they were in serious trouble if Lin couldn't handle it. "We have to stop him reforming, but how? Where's the other part of his soul?" He continued, clearly agitated as he clenched his teeth and balled his hands into fists.

"Takigawa, please! Working yourself up like this won't get anything done faster. Calm down, okay?" John said assuringly from his place on the chair, his gentle tone and timid form calming the older man. Monk-san paused reluctantly and sat down, giving the quiet exorcist an apologetic look.

"Sorry, but we absolutely have to find it!" Monk-san apologised.

"I agree…Luckily we know one thing; the fragment of his soul will be a piece of his body, but which part or where it is I cannot say…We also don't know how much time we have…Hara-san, how is it?" Naru asked as he looked up. Masako closed her eyes briefly before gasping with a hand on her chest, Mai's arms catching the girl as she almost fell into her chest.

"The spirit is reforming quickly; it is already twice as strong as it was a few hours ago when I first felt it!" She replied urgently, her voice holding weight despite the weakness of it. Naru nodded his understanding before turning to the rest of the group.

"Ok…Lin and I will search the library for records and pictures; anything that can help us find out which limb was missing. Masako, keep an eye on the spirit; Ayako, Monk-san, make protective charms and place them all over the house, I want this place to seem like an impenetrable fortress to spirits. Fai, you help them place the charms and Mai…get some sleep." Naru ordered, receiving nods from everyone except Mai, who sighed. _Great! There's nothing I can do other than sleep._ She thought in disappointment as Naru turned to John and Masako.

"Hey! Don't look so down; your dreams are what help us solve cases like this remember? We need a dream right now Mai; I just hope you have one waiting for you. Go on; you'd better go to the library. Masako and Fai will be helping us stick charms all over the house, and we can't leave you alone." Monk-san encouraged, ruffling Mai's hair affectionately as she got to her feet with fresh enthusiasm and ran after Lin and Naru, who had already left. She hurried into the library where Lin and Naru were already scanning the shelves for clues, their eyes not pausing for an instant as they scanned the spines. Mai went to a dark green leaver sofa by the door and lay down, not all that comfortable, but sure that she would eventually fall asleep. _Come on Naru, help me! I need to know about Tohru!_ She thought desperately as she lay there.


	9. Chapter Nine

"Mai." Naru's voice greeted softly. Mai opened her eyes and sat up to find herself lying on the floor in the entrance hall with Naru kneeling beside her, his eyes filled with warmth as he looked down at her. She got to her feet quickly as Naru pulled her up and looked around, not seeing Tohru anywhere.

"Naru; I need to see what happened to Tohru! Which limb did he sacrifice? Where is it hidden?" She asked quickly as she turned to Naru, seeing him smile softly in return. He nodded to the door as there was a loud knock, and from the dining room came a familiar male voice.

"Mika! Can you answer the door?" It called, clearly focused on another task. Mai turned as the kitchen door opened and Mika walked out wearing a deep blue kimono covered in white cranes. "Mika?" The voice called again, still distracted and a little impatient.

"I'm here!" Mika replied with a hint of amusement as she passed the door of the living room, heading for the large wooden door of the house, where someone waited outside still knocking. "Alright!" Mika called kindly at the front door as she grabbed the handle and opened it. "Good day sir, may I help you?" She asked courteously of the young dark haired man who stood at the door.

"Good day Miss; is the Lord of the household home?" He asked politely, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink as he bowed. Mai could tell by the widening of his dark eyes that he was slightly star-struck.

"Of course, but he is rather busy right now. I am the Lady of the house; will that do?" She asked in return, seeing a slightly disappointed smile cross his features.

"Yes indeed. I am Eishi's cousin, Tohru. He invited me to stay for a while." Tohru replied, immediately being swept into the house by Mika, who called into the dining room, bringing Eishi running, who then pulled his cousin into greeting hug. They seemed so happy to see each other; Tohru even returned his cousin's tight embrace.

"Cousin Tohru! It is good to see you! I can't believe it's been over a year already!" Eishi exclaimed as he held Tohru at arms length and studied his youthful face carefully, seeming satisfied as he drew back. "You haven't changed at all! But wait; what's this? You seem to be limping slightly, were you injured?" He asked in concern as Tohru limped forward slightly, clearly in pain as he almost lost his balance. Luckily Eishi's hand still rested on his arm, so he was able to steady himself.

"Oh, it is nothing! A riding accident; the horse threw me off." He replied quickly, though Eishi looked deeply troubled and Mai could see why. It had clearly been a serious injury if it hurt so much that it almost overbalanced him.

"Well I can't have you carrying such a burden in your condition; here, allow me to take your cases up to your room." Eishi insisted as he bent to pick up the cases, but Tohru quickly grabbed the nearest of the two, lifting it quickly out of Eishi's reach.

"I won't hear of it! I will at least take one." He replied as Eishi lifted the other case and clapped a hand on the ebony haired man's shoulder.

"Very well; I shall take you to your room and allow you to get settled. After that we shall have some refreshments prepared for you; you have travelled far today and must be both tired and hungry." Eishi decided as he began to climb the stairs, Tohru close behind as Mika returned to the kitchen, shouting to the cooks to start preparing food and drink for their guest. Mai looked at Naru before following Eishi and Tohru, who walked straight into the room where Mai and Naru had been staying, though the inside was different. The furniture looked a lot brighter and newer here.

"So, how is married life?" Tohru asked as Eishi put the case down, smiling dreamily as he sat on the edge of the bed. He was wearing a simple shirt and trousers today, his uniform probably stored in a wardrobe until required.

"You cannot imagine the joy I feel, the joy Mika brings me everyday." He replied dreamily as Tohru placed his case beside the door and pulled his travelling cloak off, hanging it on the back of the door. Beneath he had opted for the more traditional haori and hakama, both black.

"I am glad to hear it. Oh yes; I stopped off in the town on the way here, and an old man asked me to tell you the portrait is almost complete. The wood for the frame arrived this morning and he will have it delivered as soon as possible." He informed as he turned to Eishi, who quickly stood and headed for the door.

"That's good, Mika will be most pleased; now I have things to do, and you will be wanting to bathe and relax after your long journey. I will leave you to it." Eishi decided jovially as he left and shut the door. Tohru glared after him before opening the case he had carried himself. Mai peered over his shoulder and gasped, almost choking as se saw the severed decaying leg inside. _But that's impossible! He still has both legs!_ She thought as he began to pull back the carpet and then, using a thin bar from the case, he pried up some floorboards, taking the limb and hiding it inside before saying some sort of incantation and replacing the boards.

"What was that for?" She wondered aloud as Tohru hobbled to perch on the edge of the bed tiredly.

"Haven't you figured that out yet?" Naru asked kindly as he appeared at her side, watching her as she thought. Finally it hit her, or rather it didn't hit her, and she put two and two together.

"Of course! The smell! There's no smell even though it was…" She began, clamping a hand over her mouth as she recalled the slowly decomposing flesh. She felt Naru's concerned hand on her back and looked up at him assuringly. "It's ok; I haven't eaten today." She assured. _Good thing too._ She added inwardly, wondering how expensive the carpet in the library was, not to mention the cost of cleaning the leather sofa. She turned back to Tohru and watched as he undressed, wanting to turn away, but somehow feeling that it was important to watch. As he pulled his black trousers off she saw a dark red scar around the top of his right leg, but there was still a leg there. He sat back on the bed and chanted; it was a harsh foul sound, nothing at all like Lin's gentle words, and as she watched she thought she saw a hand rise up from the leg; a transparent ghostly hand, but as Tohru chanted it was forced back and locked within the flesh. _It's a spirit! He's using a spirit to keep that leg on, but where did he get it from in the first place?_ She wondered, not sure she wanted to know. _In any case this makes Naru's search of the library useless, and the soul has been so close all this time!_ She thought, seeing Naru nod as she thought of waking up again.

 

* * *

 

"Naru!" She cried as she sat up, finding him at her side in an instant as she climbed stiffly off the sofa, his arms hooking around her as she stumbled towards him. "It's under the floorboards in our room!" She said, following as he and Lin ran to investigate. As they entered the room Mai pointed to the loose edge of the carpet and watched as Lin and Naru pulled it back. There was a rush of small footsteps outside, Mai turning from the doorway with a small frown.

"It's too late! Get out of there!" Masako screamed from the top of the stairs as Naru and Lin ripped up the floorboards, throwing them aside hurriedly as they searched. The medium was spent; collapsing to the floor as she repeated her warning. Mai turned and hurried forward, intending to pull them away, but then she saw it.

"There!" Mai cried as Lin ripped up a board at the foot of the bed, revealing a tattered bloodied cloth wrapping what Mai knew would be decayed bone. Suddenly Naru snarled angrily and plunged the jagged edge of the board he was holding into Lin's stomach, the Chinese man's eyes widening as he looked up at Naru's grinning face. Mai screamed in horror as Lin fell down clutching his stomach with a surprised and horrified expression, his hazel eyes dimming slightly as a pool of blood began to form on the floor around him. Mai felt Masako's hands on her arm, pulling her away urgently, and as Naru looked at her with an inhuman grin she ran, keeping Masako ahead of her. _Hurry Masako!_ Mai thought as they raced down the stairs, Masako's kimono and indoor zouri slowing her progress. "Masako! Kick off your shoes!" Mai ordered as Masako stumbled, Mai's hand on her shoulder to steady her in an instant. Masako nodded and slipped out of her zouri as Mai glanced over her shoulder, finding Naru only a few steps behind. "Go!" Mai all but screamed as she pushed Masako forward, wrapping her arms around Naru tightly as he reached her, gripping tightly as he struggled with her.

"Mai no!" Monk-san cried as Naru rammed her into the stair rail, making her scream in agony at the contact, her grip on him loosening. Naru smirked and grabbed her neck roughly, picking her up and forcing her over the rail. She reached up and clutched the hand at her throat, her free hand gripping the sleeve of Naru's shirt, the back of her knees resting on the marble bannister. If they released each other now she was done for.

"N-Naru! Please…Help…" Mai begged, the hold on her neck making her choke on the words, no longer able to take in air. Her lungs ached. Her eyes watered. Her head pounded. _Am I really going to die? No! I can't! Not yet! I have to help Naru!_ She thought desperately as she clung to life, barely struggling in Naru's grasp.

**"Give up! This body is mine now; and what a body it is! So much power! This is far superior to my old body! With this I can make my spells ten, no twenty times more powerful!"** Tohru exclaimed with an evil grin that didn't suit Naru's soft features. Mai reached up weakly and gripped Naru's hand, digging her nails in, trying to loosen his grip. She gulped in a little air and glared at the man who held her, seeing through Naru to Tohru.

"Let Naru go!" She ordered breathlessly, Naru laughing loudly and leaning forward mockingly, their faces almost touching.

**"What are you going to do if I don't? Of all your friends you're the weakest link. Lin had his spiritual powers, Naru his sheer intelligence, John his exorcist abilities, the Monk his Buddhist powers, the Miko her Shinto powers; even Masako is more useful with her medium abilities, so tell me little girl, what power do you have that you think can stop me?"** He demanded as he looked down at Mai with an aura of confidence and superiority. Mai felt tears sliding down her cheeks as she tried to sit up on the railing and get back to the stairs. Tohru kept forcing her back as she tried to gain purchase, her breaths choking as he continued to grip her throat.

"I-I may not have strong psychic powers…I may not be strong…I may be a burden most of the time…but there is one thing…there is one thing I can do!" Mai cried as she escaped Naru's hold on her neck and grabbed the front of his jacket, pulling him close as she whispered in his ear. "I can love Naru. I can love Naru enough to save him like this." She replied, a gentle feeling of peace settling over her as she leaned back over the railing, keeping her hold on Naru as she fell back, looking into his eyes to see horror, terror, fury and defiance as they began to fall. As they fell Mai closed her eyes and pulled Naru closer, leaning her head in towards his shoulder. _I'm sorry Naru; I had to._ She cried inwardly as they plummeted towards the marble floor below. Masako screamed from the staircase, and Monk-san's cries filled her ears as the air roared past her ears. _I'm so scared; I don't want to die!_ She thought as tears streamed down her cheeks and she held Naru tighter, but suddenly their descent stopped. _Did we hit? Am I dead?_ She wondered as she slowly opened her eyes to see that she and Naru were floating a meter above the floor, Monk-san and Masako looking both shocked and relieved.

"What's going on?" Ayako demanded as she, John and Fai entered the room, stopping in their tracks as they saw Naru and Mai floating. Mai looked up in a confused daze to see a smirk on Naru's face.

**"Idiot. Did you think that you could kill me like that? And even if you had it would be needless! I could just move to another body, but I suppose I should thank you. Killing yourself and this boy would mean less work for me later, now why don't we try this again."** He laughed as he gathered Mai's body into his arms and floated up towards the ceiling, pausing by the second floor and looking down. **"This should be high enough. You should hope to hit the ground head first; if you don't you'll die a very painful death."** He warned as his grip on her slowly loosened. Mai looked up at him with tear filled eyes, tugging his jacket. _Naru, please come back!_ She begged, feeling him stop, his arms shaking as if there was a struggle. **"What? No! Silence! Go back to the shadows!"** Tohru shouted, his eyes tightly closed, his head bent down. Mai watched as he fought and suddenly his eyes opened, defiance burning in the deep blue orbs.

"Not her! You're not…having…her!" Naru shouted roughly as he fought his grip on Mai tightening as he crushed her against his chest.

**"Silence! This body is mine!"** Tohru cried defiantly.

"Not this time!" Naru replied confidently, glaring into space. Mai reached up and touched his cheek, blue eyes softening as they gazed into her warm hazel orbs.

"Naru…" She breathed in relief, the grip on her body become firmer every moment.

**"Stay out of this girl!"** Tohru shouted, eyes widening as Mai's lips pressed to his, his grip on her body tightening as they slowly floated down to the floor below, where they pulled back breathlessly and gazed at each other.

"You came back." Mai stated softly as Naru set her down, his hands resting on her shoulders lightly.

"I promised you…" He replied simply. _That's right…He'll always be here for me; to protect me and take care of me._ She thought with a smile as she jumped into his arms again, her lips pressed firmly to his until Monk-san gave an awkward cough. Mai and Naru pulled back, blushing as they remembered their audience. Monk-san and Ayako looked both triumphant and gleeful, John and Fai shared an awkward cross between embarrassment and being pleased for them while Masako hid her face behind her kimono sleeve, obviously with a mixture of sadness and anger, but there was someone missing…

"Lin-san!" Mai cried, leaving Naru and running up the stairs as fast as her legs could carry her. As she entered the room she saw Lin more or less where they had left him, slumped among the floorboards, blood quickly spreading in a puddle around his unmoving body. Mai went to him and fell to her knees, lightly touching his cold cheek. "Lin-san…" She breathed tearfully, slowly reaching down a shaking hand to feel his neck, praying that there would be a pulse, but as she felt his neck she couldn't find it. She could feel the panic rise within her as she drew back, her body trembling. _No…Please…_

"Mai?" Naru said as he entered, wrapping his arms around her as he knelt behind her. He looked at Lin, and then at Mai.

"I-I can't-pulse-no pulse-not-Lin-san!" She cried in broken words, her breaths coming in gasps, her mind blank as she stared as Lin's body, feeling Naru hush her as he her rocked back and forth soothingly, his chest heaving as he tried to keep his composure. He could feel his guardian's warm blood soaking through his trousers as they knelt in his blood. _Is this really…_


	10. Chapter Ten

"Lin!" Ayako cried as she entered, John and Monk-san close behind. Ayako was at his side in an instant, feeling for a pulse, waiting with her eyes closed in focus. "Monk-san! John! Get him on the bed now!" She shouted as her eyes snapped open and she turned to Mai quickly, waving a hand in front of her eyes, watching her shiver and her ragged breathing. "She's in shock." She said to herself, raising a hand and slapping her hard across the face. "Mai! Snap out of it! Lin is still alive!" She insisted before turning back to Lin, who was now lying on the bed. "Naru, wrap her in some blankets and try to calm her down! Fai! I need hot water, disinfectant, needles, thread, small pliers, a sponge, cotton wool and some tissues! Masako, help him!" She ordered as she ripped the sleeve of her top and tied her hair back, pulling up her other sleeve before heading for the bathroom and washing her hands.

"What can I do?" Monk-san asked as she re-entered the room, knowing that the priestess knew what she was doing.

"Wash your hands; John too, I might need help." She replied as the two men entered the bathroom. Mai slowly came back to herself, registering the urgent activity around her and Naru's soothing words. _He's alive…Lin-san…He's not dead._ She thought dreamily, the activity around her slowly coming back into focus.

"Mai? Are you alright?" Naru asked as Fai and Masako returned laden down with all that they had been told to get. Around the bed Ayako ripped open Lin's shirt, frowning at the ugly wound, large chunks of wood still lodged in his flesh. As she examined the wound John wiped the pliers and needle with disinfectant thoroughly.

"Oh God, don't you dare Lin-san!" Ayako shouted as his breathing slowed, his breaths loud and heavy. "Houshou, bring a light!" She ordered as she took the pliers and leaned down over the slowly bleeding wound. Monk-san grabbed the lamp from the bedside table, ripping off the lampshade and tossing it away, either ignoring or not noticing that Ayako had used his first name.

"Sorry Fai, I'll replace it later." He added as he held the light close to the wound as Ayako delicately pinched a large splinter of wood in the wound and pulled back very slowly, a small drop of sweat trickling down her face as fresh blood seeped from the wound. John reached across with a tissue and wiped the sweat from Ayako's brow while reaching to the wound and dabbing the blood away with the cotton wool as Ayako went in again.

"Not now!" Masako whimpered pleadingly. Mai looked up at her shivering frame in confusion until she felt the presence herself.

"Naru! He's coming back!" Mai cried as she got to her feet and ran to John, covering her hands with his. "Let me take over! You have to exorcise him! Keep him busy!" She ordered as she took the cotton wool, wiping the blood from the wound as John pulled his cross from beneath his woollen jumper and held it out, closing his eyes in concentration. It was odd to see him waiting to do an exorcism without his cassock or Bible; Mai just hoped he'd be able to do it. Ayako was slowly pulling the splinters out, working as quickly as she could without making the wound worse.

"Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy…" John began before he went flying into a wall, falling to the floor unconscious, the cross slipping from his grasp.

"Mai! Focus!" Ayako ordered as Mai looked over at John. Mai nodded and soaked up the blood, watching Ayako examining the wound closely, motioning occasionally for Mai to wipe more blood away so that she could get a closer look at the wound. "Alright…" She sighed quietly as she picked up the disinfectant and dripped it onto some cotton wool before lightly cleaning the wound. She lifted the threaded needle and leaned close to Lin's stomach, carefully sewing the wound shut with steady nimble fingers.

"No! Naru!" Masako cried as Naru was pinned to the wall and choked by an invisible force. Mai heard a low curse from across the bed and Monk-san drew back.

"Mai! Take the light!" Monk-san ordered as he thrust the lamp into Mai's hands and turned, raising his hands and chanting quickly, the force holding Naru flying at Monk-san instead, hitting him hard in the stomach and then on the back, knocking him out.

"Not yet…not yet…" Ayako pleaded desperately under her breath as she continued sewing, until that same invisible force pushed her away, pinning her to the ground and strangling her. Mai froze for an instant before taking up the needle and sewing, her stomach turning as she watched the needle piercing the skin, small droplets of blood leaking out, the thread turning red as she pulled it through, the wound slowly being closed.

**Why are you working so hard little girl?** Tohru's voice asked in her head. Mai found it harder to move suddenly, as if something were filling her body, but as she looked at how close she was to finishing she fought with all her might to keep moving. **Why fight the inevitable? You won't save him; I'll kill him myself, with your hands!** He continued, slowly taking over Mai's body. Her hands stilled, shaking as Tohru stopped her and she tried to continue.

"No! I won't let you kill Lin-san!" She cried as she slowly fought to tie off the string before stepping back from the bed.

**Why? What is he to you? He is nothing! He isn't even your friend; he's just someone in the background!** Tohru taunted, delving into her mind, forcing up all of her past memories of Lin:

"I don't need your help!" The tall man said coldly as he slapped Mai's hand away, glaring up at her a blood dripped down his face. Mai was taken aback as she held her hand, feeling hurt at the dislike on his face as he stared at her.

"How's your leg?" Mai asked cheerfully as she looked up at Naru's tall assistant as he leaned on his crutches holding a small video camera beside the van while Naru looked though some notes. He looked down at her with a glare, causing her to back up. _Please hurry and get here everyone!_ Mai thought nervously.

"Um, Lin-san?" Mai asked as she saw the tall man heading to his office with a file. He paused silently and looked down at her coldly, quietly annoyed at being interrupted. "Would you like some tea?" She asked hesitantly as she clutched the try to her chest.

"No." He snapped in response as he went into his office and closed the door loudly. _Jeez; no need to snap, I only asked!_ She thought, feeling both annoyed and a little hurt.

"Here; I made cookies." Mai said cheerfully as she placed the plate on Lin's desk as he typed on the computer. His fingers didn't even still as he sensed the movement beside him.

"I don't want any." He replied without turning around. _And here I was trying to call a truce…_ Mai thought sadly as she left the room, leaving the cookies behind.

"Oh no! Lin-san; I'm so sorry!" Mai apologised as she looked up from her place on the floor were she'd fallen after running into him. The file he had been carrying was on the ground, the pages scattered all over the floor.

"Watch where you're going!" Lin snapped as he knelt down to gather the papers, not looking at her as she quickly helped.

**What can you possibly see to save in him after all he's done to you, how can you defend him? Let me take over and he'll never upset you again…** Tohru tempted as he tried to take over again. _He's right…Lin-san has been short and rude sometimes…but…_

"No! You don't know Lin-san! Don't even try to judge him!" She cried as she thought of the man she had come to know:

"Mai!" Ayako cried in horror as Mai was pulled along the wooden floor towards the hole, her skin scraping painfully on the smooth but old floorboards.

"Ayako!" Mai screamed in terror as she reached out, seeing the door pulled open as Lin entered.

"Taniyama-san!" He exclaimed as he ran towards her as fast as he could, desperately reaching out for her, his fingers inches away from hers as she gave him a look of pure terror.

"Lin-san!" She cried fearfully as she slipped further away, seeing the look of horror on his face as she slid over the edge of the well.

"Mai! Hold on! Lin-san's coming down for you!" Ayako called as a rope was dropped over the edge of the floor into the well. Mai waited nervously as Lin slid down to her and took a chair from Ayako, gently helping Mai up onto it, his hands securely on her waist. Mai blushed; his hands were so gentle even though he was usually so cold.

"Alright, I've got you. Start climbing." He said assuringly, watching as she took the rope and tried to pull herself up. "Put your feet on the wall and walk." Lin instructed as she put her foot on the wall. She felt his hand on her back, supporting her, pushing her up slowly. _Oh God! I'm wearing a skirt!_ She thought as she glanced back with a blush, but Lin wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the floor or the wall as he pushed her, looking anywhere but at her.

Mai gasped as she tripped, the cup slipping from her grasp and smashing on the floor. She closed her eyes, feeling herself stop in mid fall, a strong arm wrapped around her chest from the side.

"Lin-san!" She exclaimed in surprise as she stepped back with pink cheeks. "Thank you…Uh! I better clean up!" She added with a blush as she began picking fragments up, a sharp edge cutting her hand. She gasped and closed her eyes, feeling someone take her hand. She opened her eyes to see Lin caressing the skin of her hand, his piercing eyes examining the deep cut before he took off his tie and wrapped it around the cut. "Wait! You'll ruin it!" Mai objected as she tried to pull her hand away, but Lin gripped her wrist tightly.

"Don't worry." He replied, his face looking gentle for the first time.

Mai watched as the ghost pulled the scythe from its mouth, the blood pouring up its face and over its eyes as it stared at her and Naru. Mai felt her body shake in fear, and then Naru's hand was on her wrist.

"Stay calm." He said assuringly. _Someone, anyone, John, Ayako, Monk-san, anyone!_ She cried inwardly, opening her eyes as the ghost disappeared and a flashlight shone down from above.

"Naru? Are you down there?" Lin called. _Lin-san!_ Mai thought gratefully as she looked up towards the light.

_Oh God! Not again!_ Mai thought as she fell forward in the corridor bracing herself for the impact of the floor, but she never hit it, someone had their arm around her. Mai looked up to see Lin giving her a helpless sigh with a smile as he helped steady her, a file clutched securely in his hand.

"This is becoming quite a habit Taniyama-san." He said as she regained her footing, her breasts crushed against his arm, her hand on his chest for support as she looked up at him with a deep blush as he leaned down, his face only inches from hers. "I…um…" Mai stuttered, his lips so close to hers that she could feel his soft breath, and as she looked up his eyes were so kind. _I've never seen his eyes so…warm…_ She thought as he stepped back and readjusted the file in his grasp.

"Could you bring me some tea please?" He asked as he put his hand on the handle of his door.

"Sure!" Mai replied brightly as she continued her way into the office. _He's quiet…but…Lin-san's a good person._ She thought cheerfully as she entered the kitchen, glad that she was making some progress with him.

"Come on, I'll drive you home." Lin-san said as he shook Mai's shoulder. Mai opened her eyes groggily, unsure of where she was or what was happening. _I was working…I should be working…_ She thought tiredly as she was slowly helped to her feet and led across the office. Lin put his arm around her shoulders securely, pulling her to his chest as they walked down the stairs so that she wouldn't fall. Mai felt the air on her face and looked up to see the empty streets.

"What time is it?" She asked tiredly as Lin led her to the van, unlocked the door and helped her up.

"One O'clock." He replied before closing the door and walking to his side of the van. "Do you have your keys?" He asked as he started the van. Mai nodded and got out her keys, putting them on the dashboard so that she didn't have to look for them later before slowly closing her eyes, feeling Lin reach across and pull her seat belt on. _Lin-san…He really is a nice guy…_ Mai thought tiredly as she fell asleep.

_Where…where am I?_ Mai wondered as she woke up. She was lying down on a bed, her bed she realised as she looked around the room. _But how did I get here?_ She wondered as she sat up, seeing a note on her dresser. 'I'll put the keys through the letterbox. See you tomorrow, Lin.' _He must have carried me all the way here from the van!_ She realised, knowing that she hadn't walked up herself.

"Did you stop him? Did I?" Naru asked fearfully, his blue eyes wide in terror. Monk-san stared at the boy, taken back by the unusual expression. Usually nothing would have rattled Naru, though Monk-san could hardly blame him this time. Tears pricked the edge of Naru's vision as he awaited the older man's answer, the hand fisted in the monk's top quivering as he waited.

"No; he didn't. We got here in time." Monk-san replied softly, gathering the boy up and cradling his naked body soothingly. Naru cried into Monk-san's shoulder uncontrollably, the older man holding him tighter in response and rubbing circles on his bare back. "Hey; it's okay; you're okay." Monk-san soothed as John grabbed Naru's robe and put it over the younger teen's shoulders, letting his hands rest there supportively as the naked boy tugged the robe tighter over himself.

"Mai, are you alright?" Lin asked as he looked down at the girl in his arms. Mai pushed herself back and forced a smile, tears still running down her cheeks as she looked up at the Chinese man's concerned expression. It was unusual to see the stoic man rattled, and he clearly wasn't used to dealing with a hysterical teenage girl, but still it meant a lot that he was trying.

"I'm fine." She replied shakily, finding that she couldn't stop crying despite herself. "I just need a minute okay?" She added tearfully as she leaned into his arms again, a small hand reaching up to grip the front of his shirt. He held her comfortingly and rubbed her back gently, occasionally running his long fingers through her honeyed locks. _He smells nice…comforting…I feel safe…_ After a while she heard Naru get to his feet and pick up the scattered papers, which had fallen from his grasp as the spirit first took over.

"Come on. We have work to do." Naru said coldly, not even looking at Mai as he left the room. She felt Lin getting up and caught his sleeve, the Chinese man looking back at her with an expression of curiosity with a hint of dread and discomfort.

"Thank you Lin-san." Mai murmured as she released him, pulling her knees up to her chest and burying her face. The older man said nothing before she heard his heavy footfalls departing, somehow feeling lonely. She felt the bed move and looked up to see Monk-san sitting next to her with his arms open. _He always knows…_ With a small smile Mai shifted closer and leaned on his chest, feeling his arms wrap round her, enveloping her in warmth and security. "How did you know?" She asked after a few moments of silence.

"Lin was watching the screens. We were talking for a minute and when he looked back he saw you and Naru in here and knew something wasn't right." Monk-san replied in a soothing tone as he wiped her eyes gently.

"Of course things have been awkward between us! We got off on completely the wrong foot, but that doesn't mean that we hate each other! It doesn't mean Lin-san is a horrible person! He's kind and he cares! He does! And nothing you say will ever change that! So I won't let you hurt him!" Mai cried as she took control and felt him leave her body. "Where did he go?" She thought aloud as she looked around. Lin was too badly injured, but there were five others to choose from. She looked at Naru, who knelt on the floor holding his throat, but she knew that Tohru wasn't there. John was still down. _He must have hit his head really hard on the wall_. She thought as her eyes moved to Monk-san, who was slowly pushing himself up with a groan, looking around in confusion until he saw Ayako, throwing himself on his knees beside her.

"Ayako! Wake up!" He cried as he shook her shoulders, his look of horror slowly turning to relief as Ayako moaned and slowly opened her eyes, her hand reaching up shakily to touch Monk-san's cheek. His expression softened as he leaned into her gentle caress and closed his eyes.

"H-Houshou…" She sighed as he helped her to sit up, one arm looping around her shoulders to support her as he checked that she was alright. _That only leaves…_ Mai looked at Masako just as she launched herself, her hands grabbing Mai's throat and pushing her to the floor roughly.

**"This one was much easier to convince! Women are so weak, especially when it comes to men!"** Masako mocked as she bashed Mai's head against the floor, a painful lump forming from the constant abuse. Mai reached up and took Masako's hands gently, not even trying to pry the hands away.

"Masako…Get a hold of yourself! I know you're not like this!" Mai urged, seeing Masako laugh as she leaned down. Their faces were barely an inch apart as the medium squeezed tightly, Mai choking at the grip on her throat.

**"It's no good, you can't reach her now; she's lost in her own fantasy of revenge…Revenge for the pain you caused her!"** Tohru mocked with Masako's voice. Mai pushed Masako back by the shoulders and glared at her, tilting her head back to get more air.

"Masako wouldn't do that! She might think it, but she'd never hurt anyone!" Mai cried insistently, and suddenly Tohru wavered and let Masako go as if he had been burned. "Masako?" Mai said uncertainly as she grabbed the girl's shoulders and looked at her closely, the medium's hands reaching up to caress Mai's shoulders in return.

"I know Naru would never forgive me if I killed you…He helped me to overcome it." She replied with a weak smile before falling forwards into Mai's arms, her head leaning on Mai's chest peacefully.

"We have to do something!" Monk-san insisted as he and Ayako got to their feet slowly. There was a loud groan and John was back on his feet, lifting the cross into his hand he prayed again. _I don't know if there's anything I can do…If Lin were here I know he and his shikigami could do something!_ Mai thought, laying Masako on her side before crawling over to the bed to kneel beside Lin's unconscious form, her hands reaching out to grip his arm.

"I don't know if you can hear me, or even understand, but we need help! I know I don't have any strong powers like Lin, but…if there's something you can do, then please, use my strength and do it!" Mai begged, feeling something warm and gentle brush against her cheek. It was a white light, a very soft and gentle light that caressed her almost in an assuring way, and then the other four joined it.

**We know you Taniyama-san…Our contractor sees you as a trusted friend. The feelings he feels for you, we also feel, and we know we can trust you, therefore we will allow you to use us as you will.** A soft voice said, and she knew it was the shikigami speaking. _Well…I got what I asked for, but what do I do?_

"Um…Can you stop Tohru?" She asked, feeling the shikigami brushing up against her and wondering if this was what they did to Lin every day. It was an assuring feeling.

**We can, but it may be harmful to you…We require much energy for attacks of this sort; even Lin is usually drained to the point of fainting, and your energy is already low…If we use your energy you may not survive at this point, are you willing to take that risk?** They asked, brushing her comfortingly. _If I don't do this…everyone could die…I can't just sit back and let that happen!_ She thought as she held out her hand, feeling one of the shikigami on her palm, almost like a small inquisitive pet looking up at her.

"I am." She replied without a trace of doubt. _For the others, for Naru, I can die._ She thought as the Shikigami moved up her arm and brushed against her cheek.

**We knew that you would say that. Your self-sacrificing and caring nature is one of the things that drew him to you. You are a very brave human Taniyama-san.** They said before leaving her and heading for the centre of the room, a shrill sound filling the air, though it seemed that no one but Mai could hear it, and suddenly the room fazed. Everything looked like it was in negative; all the dark colours looked white and the light colours look dark green, but it was also hazy, like wind was rustling the edges, and in the centre were the five shikigami in a circle. All of them looked like balls of white fire, and in the centre of the circle was a clear unfazed image of Tohru on his knees clutching his head. _Is this what Lin-san sees when the shikigami are working?_ Mai wondered, secretly thinking this world was quite beautiful. She watched the shikigami attack. They were ruthless; ripping holes through every inch of Tohru's body, his cries of agony ringing in Mai's ears, tears streaming down her cheeks as her energy was slowly drained away. _So I'm really going to die…I can barely keep my eyes open!_ She thought as her body weakened and she slid down to the floor, her vision blurring. _I can't hold on…I hope my energy is…enough._

"Mai." Naru's voice said, but Naru was a blur on the other side of the room, and as she looked up the face she saw was in focus. _Am I dreaming?_ She wondered as the Naru before her smiled sadly and gathered her in his arms. "You really are a fool." He chided tearfully as he touched her cheek lightly. "I wanted you to live above all else." He added as the tears fell. Mai reached up her hand and stroked his cheek, the boy before her leaning into her touch.

"I know." She replied with a smile of understanding. _I wish he'd said the words before I died._ She thought as she let her eyes close, the last of her energy leaving her. _My chest…It's burning…It hurts…so much…_


	11. Chapter Eleven

Mai stood in a blinding light. She couldn't see anything except pure white. She didn't even remember standing up. She looked down at herself. She was dressed in the same clothes; a cream top and pleated black skirt with socks, but no shoes. It was strange; she was standing, but she couldn't feel the ground beneath her feet. _Where am I? What's going on?_ She wondered as she was drawn forwards, towards a blinding light. _No…I don't want to go that way!_ She thought warily, stepping back firmly and turning around, seeing dark nothingness behind her. _I don't know what to do…I need help!_

"Mai." Naru's voice greeted sadly. Upon turning she saw him standing before her, blocking out some of the light. He was strangely beautiful; a pale figure dressed in black with rays of blinding light surrounding his body. There was a light breeze coming from nowhere, toying with his ebony locks as he looked down at her with dim blue eyes. It was almost ethereal. Then she realised.

"I'm dead aren't I…" She trailed off, a sense of peace washing over her at the realisation. Naru gave her a troubled look, suddenly unable to meet her gaze as he looked off to the side.

"Not yet, but soon…Your body is shutting down; your consciousness has been released." He replied as she leaned her head on his chest, his arms slowly rising until they held her loosely, his hands caressing her back lightly. "This is where you make a choice." He added as he looked down at her, still holding her loosely.

"What are you doing here?" She asked suddenly as she looked up at him, knowing that Naru had been fine the last time she saw him. "You weren't dead, so why are you here?" She continued, concern shining in her eyes as she gripped the front of his jacket.

"Don't worry; Naru is safe." He promised.

"I don't understand…" She said in confusion as she released him and stepped back with a hint of wariness. His words suggested that he wasn't the Naru she knew. _In that case who is he? What is he?_ Naru's face smiled in understanding as he took her hands in his.

"Just call me a spirit guide." He decided eventually, unsure he was ready to confess the truth to her. She seemed slightly uncomfortable at the contact now, her hazel eyes looking up at him searchingly, scrutinising his youthful face for a hint.

"So…you're just something I imagined?" She asked uncertainly, something in her gut stirring, telling her she wasn't right.

"No, not exactly, but it doesn't matter. What matters is the choice you make." He replied, swiftly changing the subject as he looked over his shoulder and examined the bright light. "You can step into the light and move on, or you can linger in the human realm as a spirit." He explained, stepping aside so that she could look into the light clearly.

"What's on the other side?" She asked fearfully as she looked up at him, not wanting to go by herself.

"I don't know…I haven't crossed that line…There is something left that I must do first." He replied kindly, feeling Mai grip his sleeve. He smiled softly, understanding her fear and reluctance; it was something he felt himself every time he regarded the light.

"Is there no way that I can go back? Do I really have to die?" She asked desperately, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up at him. _I didn't think it would be so hard to leave._ She thought regretfully, though as she thought of what would have happened without her sacrifice she felt ashamed of her previous selfishness. She'd saved them; all of them. Lin's shiki had managed to defeat Tohru, and the only cost had been her life. _That's not such a bad deal…_

"There isn't much hope…Your body is shutting down…Your only option would be to stay here, but you'll gradually be drawn in unless you choose." He replied reluctantly, not wanting to leave her alone, but his time was coming. He had no other choice. "I cannot linger; even now the light draws me. I must go." He said apologetically as he turned to leave, feeling Mai take his hand.

"Wait! I might never see you again, and I don't even know who you are…" She managed desperately before being cut off by his lips, but as he kissed her she knew it wasn't Naru. Though his scent was similar and his lips were soft, his kiss very innocent; just a soft touch of the lips; nothing more. It wasn't that Naru wouldn't kiss her like that, but it felt different. Mai opened her eyes as she felt a soft hand cup her cheek, the foreign lips leaving hers as the teen drew back.

"Just know that I am someone who cares deeply…for both of you." He replied as he backed away, his hand falling from her cheek. Mai raised her hand and touched the skin where his hand had rested, her hazel eyes widening as she watched the ebony haired boy fading slowly, his outline becoming less and less clear.

"Wait! If that's really what you look like then you're…" She realised, her eyes widening as he disappeared with a warm smile of confirmation. Mai looked around; other than the light and the dark there was nothing, and the only sound was that of her own breathing. _I feel so alone right now…What should I do? Should I wait and see what happens, choose to stay, or just step into the light?_ She wondered helplessly, feeling her body pulled closer to the light. _Oh god I'm really going to die! I want to see him again! I want to see Naru!_

**Mai! Mai wake up!** Monk-san's voice cried, but it sounded far away, and it echoed all around her. It was like she was standing in a cave, and Monk-san was standing in another cave next to hers. _Monk-san? He's not dead is he? No…he'd be here if he were…but that means…I can hear him!_ She thought with a smile as she looked up, seeing a small speck of light in the darkness. _Is that where I came from?_

**Mai!** **Come on! Don't you die on me! Damnit I have none of the right equipment! I can't save her!** Ayako's voice cried helplessly, other sounds of the room leaking through, at least Mai assumed they were still in Fai's mansion. It certainly sounded like it. She could hear feet padding on wooden floorboards, rustling sheets and other voices.

**There must be something you can do!** Masako cried. **Please; I'll do anything!** She added tearfully, which wasn't something Mai had ever thought would happen. _I guess Masako really does care…_ Mai thought affectionately as she considered the young medium.

**I'll pray for her to find her way back.** John added, the rustle of pages sounding as he opened his bible. She could head his voice speaking softly, reciting his favourite passages in prayer, but she couldn't pick out the words; especially not as another voice chimed in.

**Mai! Don't you leave me; not now!** Naru's voice whispered in a dry pleading tone, the shaking of his breaths telling her that he was crying. _Naru…I…I don't want to leave!_ She cried inwardly as she looked up, knowing that the light was her one way back. _But how do I get to it?_

"You really don't want to leave?" A new voice asked kindly. She turned and came face to face with Mika and Eishi, both smiling in understanding. "We still have a debt to pay to you; you saved me!" Mika added as she took Mai's hands in hers, the pale blue kimono now restored to its former splendour, the matching zouri covering her petite feet. "I can never repay you for that, but perhaps I can help a little." She continued as she looked up, watching the small light glimmer dangerously.

**No! Mai! Breathe Damnit!** Ayako cried, something thudding in the background as Monk-san leapt to help. She could hear Masako and Naru crying as John lowered his bible to help if he could. It seemed Fai had returned as his voice called that an ambulance was on the way.

"We're running out of time; hurry." Eishi implored as he approached, placing his hands on Mai's shoulders. "We will pass on after this, but first we will send you back…It will be painful…and once you're back the only thing keeping you there for a long time will be your own will…Are you willing to do this?" Eishi asked worriedly, wondering if the small girl could handle it. Mai nodded, certainty shining in her eyes, though Eishi looked reluctant.

"She can do it. I know she can." Mika said with certainty as she touched Eishi's arm, her warm smile easing his worry. "She has my blood in her veins after all." She added with a smile, cracking Eishi's resolution. He sighed and nodded, placing a hand on Mai's forehead, Mika's coming to rest on top of his lightly.

"Close your eyes Mai." He ordered softly, his blue eyes glimmering with assurance. Mai nodded and closed her eyes, feeling her body warming as she stood there. The warmth started with his touch on her forehead, and radiated outwards, right to her toes and fingertips.

"Thank you…" She whispered gratefully, feeling her chest gradually heat. It started off quite pleasant, but it didn't stop. Her skin was still heating from the outside in. It burned. The pain was unbearable. Her whole body was on fire, but her chest hurt most of all. She felt like screaming, but couldn't open her mouth. She couldn't move; not a muscle. _Help, somebody! Naru, Monk-san, Ayako, anyone! Help!_ She cried inwardly, seeing nothing but black. She couldn't open her eyes. She couldn't even move her eyes.

"Mai; you're not alone, don't worry." Lin's voice soothed, his hand stroking her forehead gently. His touch was cold, soothing her heated skin. _Lin-san! It seems he's always there when we need him._ She thought fondly, feeling a little better now that she knew she wasn't alone. "You'll be alright Mai; you'll be able to move again very soon." He continued assuringly, his hand still gently stroking her face. _He's so cool…_ She thought, feeling his hand on the back of her neck, tilting her head backwards. Cold fingers reached up and eased her soft lips apart, and then his lips were pressed against hers. _What? What's going on? Lin-san; what are you doing?_ She thought warily, feeling nervous, confused, scared, but also a little excited. _What am I thinking? Cut it out!_ She scolded, but there was nothing she could do about it; her body wouldn't move an inch. Mai lay helpless as Lin's lips pressed against hers, his cold hand caressing the back of her hot neck. _What is he doing?_ She wondered, feeling something enter through her mouth and spread throughout her body. It wasn't a physical thing, and it wasn't air, but she could feel it, and slowly she was able to open her eyes. Her vision was blurred at first, but then she began to focus and saw Lin's face inches from her own, his eyes closed in concentration as he passed something through her, until slowly he opened his eyes. His lips softly kissed hers before pulling away, leaving her a little breathless. "Don't try to move too much; your body needs time to regain its strength." He said gently as he knelt by the bed.

"Lin-san…Thank you, but…what was that?" She asked weakly, turning her head as he moved to sit in the chair beside her, scooting it forward to the edge of the bed. As she cooled down and regained the feeling in her physical body she became aware of various aches and pains; a particularly sharp one in her hand drawing her attention. There was an IV attached to her pale hand.

"I transferred some of my Chi to you." He replied in explanation, drawing her attention to him once more. Mai looked around the small room. It was white and dull, as expected of a hospital room. There was a vase of colourful flowers beside her bed, some of the petals wilting and turning brown. There was a steady beep in her ear too.

"When did we go to the hospital?" She asked in confusion as she turned her head to look up at the tall Chinese man, who was wearing white hospital robes himself.

"Three weeks ago." He replied as he readjusted the opening of his robes to cover his bare chest. "You've been unconscious all this time. The doctors didn't think you would wake up, so once I was strong enough I decided to help your recovery along." He explained briefly, feeling her hand touch his lightly. She wasn't really strong enough to grip, her fingers lightly twitching against his.

"Thank you…Thank you so much Lin-san." She said weakly, feeling Lin take her hand and stroke the skin gently, her small fingers lost in his grasp.

"Go to sleep Mai." He said kindly as he sat back in the chair, keeping a loose grip on her soft hand.

 

* * *

 

"Mai…Mai!" Naru's voice called gently. Mai opened her eyes to find herself completely healthy and able to move. There was no IV in her hand, no aches in her joints, no bruises; nothing. She was even still wearing the cream top and pleated skirt she'd been wearing before. She looked across to find Naru beside her, giving her his hand and allowing him to pull her to her feet. His hand was warm.

"I'm asleep, aren't I?" She observed as she looked around, finding herself in darkness with small spirit orbs floating through the air around her. Naru nodded his agreement. "Thank you; you're always helping me…but I don't understand why. Why don't you appear to Naru?" She asked in confusion, but he just looked at her with a smile.

"Because you're the one." He replied ambiguously, smiling and placing a finger on her lips gently, as she opened her mouth to respond or object. "You're the one he fell in love with, the one he wants to keep safe. The one I want to keep safe." He continued, caressing her pale cheek gently, leaving a trail of warmth in his wake.

"Who are you?" She asked as she looked into his caring eyes, though she had an idea of who he had to be. She just didn't know his name.

"I am your spirit guide; you need know no more than that." He replied.

 

* * *

 

_I woke up_. Mai thought, feeling slightly disappointed as she opened her eyes to find herself back in the hospital room. It was dark outside, and the lights in her room had been switched off. The only light came from a small lamp at the side of her bed and the heart monitor. As she shifted she could feel something on the bed beside her. Someone was leaning on the bed. Looking down she found Naru. He was slumped over the bed with his head resting on folded arms, his face turned towards her and his eyes closed. _Naru…How long has he been here?_ She wondered as she stroked his silken locks, watching his long eyelashes twitch as his brow furrowed in objection.

"Mai…" He sighed restlessly, his eyes still closed. _He's still half asleep!_ She realised as he moaned in objection. He can't have been comfortable like that; she didn't even know how long he'd been sitting like that.

"I'm right here." She replied soothingly, watching as he slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her, his blue orbs tired and confused. Though he looked at her he didn't raise his head at all, apparently still tired. "Come here." She added as she shifted over and turned on her side, tugging his arm gently as he slowly pushed himself up and crawled on the bed beside her, the furrow in his brow telling her that his back was aching.

"You're okay." He observed tiredly, giving her one of his rare smiles, which made her heart flutter even more in his dazed state. "I'm glad." He added, burying his head in her shoulder as he slipped his arm around her waist and closed his eyes. Mai smiled as she raised her hand to cup his cheek, breathing his musky scent deeply as she closed her own eyes.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Mai woke up to find Naru gone and Lin in the chair beside her with a steaming cup of tea. She must have rolled onto her back at some point, or Naru had repositioned her before he left. Lin looked down at her softly as she gazed at him sleepily, pulling herself slowly into a sitting position, her ribs protesting as she did so.

"Good morning Taniyama-san." Lin greeted warmly as he set his cup down, wearing his own clothing today. She wasn't sure if that meant he'd been discharged or not; he was still a little stiff as he sat rigid in his seat. _Though with the damage that splinter of wood caused he'll probably be stiff for a very long time…_

"Morning Lin-san…What time is it?" She asked tiredly as she looked around, seeing the sun out of the window. It was high in the sky; not a cloud in sight. An endless sea of blue.

"Getting on for twelve O'clock. Naru will be back soon." Lin replied, seeing Mai's relieved smile as she leaned against the pillows, her eyes catching sight of the bright flowers on the table beside her? _Who…_ "I brought them for Fai; he'll visit later." Lin replied to her silent question as he followed her puzzled gaze to the vase.

"Lin-san! Is it safe? Is he really…" She began urgently as she looked at Lin, but he didn't have to answer. The look in his eyes was enough to tell her. _He's gone…He's really gone…It's over._ She thought in relief as she settled back against the pillows, quickly remembering her other imminent problem. _For now…_ She added inwardly, the relief fading quickly as she thought of what was to come. She felt an uncomfortable lurch in her stomach at the thought.

"Taniyama-san? Mai…Are you alright?" Lin asked in concern, seeing her hazel eyes dim as fear slowly edged its way into her gentle gaze. At his interruption Mai came back to herself, looking sheepish as she looked up at the concerned Chinese man.

"I-I'm fine Lin-san." She replied with a forced smile, feeling Lin take her hand gently. She felt her cheeks heat as the older man leaned forward until he was resting his slender elbows on the bed, her hand gripped gently between his. His dark eyes looked at her searchingly, the intensity suddenly making Mai feel quite warm.

"If there is something wrong…or if you need help, you know I'm here…We all are." He assured gently. _Lin-san…_ Mai thought as she returned the light grip on her hand, caressing his skin lightly. _His skin is so soft…_ She added inwardly as she gaze across at the handsome man, who was leaning down to her eyelevel. It was rare that she got to examine Lin from this height, because he was usually towering over her.

"Thank you." She said gratefully as she pulled their joined hands closer so that she could rest her cheek against them. _His hands are so gentle…_ She thought in a daze as he released her hand and turned his palm up to cup her cheek lightly, pink rising to her cheek as she looked into his intense eyes. She leaned closer to him as he leaned closer to her, closing her eyes as he came closer, until the door opened with a resounding click.

"Mai-chan! How are you this…Were we interrupting something?" Monk-san asked in confusion as he looked at the two only inches apart, Mai blushing furiously as she looked over at Monk-san while Lin merely sat back and lifted his teacup. He was so cool and unaffected; Mai had no idea how he could be so calm about what had almost happened.

"Not at all." Lin replied in his usual neutral tone. _What happened? I was really going to…kiss Lin-san…but…it's not right! I love Naru!_ She thought, the blush fading from her cheeks as she sat deep in thought. She'd never had the urge to kiss Lin before, and they'd been in the same room plenty of times; alone in the same room. She couldn't even count the amount of times she'd tripped into his arms and jostled him in the hallway, but every time she'd just laughed and apologised. She'd never felt her heart skip, or been caught by his eyes, or leaned a little closer to catch his scent of smoke and mint; not once. Mai was pulled back to reality as Ayako sat on the edge of the bed and put her hand on her forehead.

"Well…no temperature; are you feeling alright?" The older woman asked in concern as she examined the younger girl, noting she looked slightly pale, though it was to be expected as she recovered her strength. She was looking much healthier now than she had a couple of weeks ago; Ayako had spent many sleepless nights standing over Mai in this room wondering if she'd pull through or not.

"Yes! I'm fine!" Mai replied brightly as Monk-san hopped onto the other side of the bed and ruffled her hair. He was tempted to pull her into a tight hug, but knowing how delicate she'd seemed just a few days ago he settled for keeping his hand on her head for a little longer than usual. _Ah! I wish he wouldn't do that! My hair must be filthy!_ Mai realised with a blue as she remembered how long she'd been asleep.

"See; I told you she was just spacing out." He added to Ayako with a grin. The group turned to the door as it opened and Naru re-entered in fresh clothes with two cups of tea, handing one to Mai before standing beside Lin with the other, leaning on the wall. "So, when will you be out?" Monk-san continued as Mai sipped the hot tea. She savoured the flavour; it was English tea with milk and one sugar. Naru had only made her tea once before, but it tasted wonderful. Her gaze dropped slightly as she thought about Monk-san's question.

"I don't know…" Mai replied, a slight shudder running through her small form. _Will they already be waiting at the house when I get out? Are they there right now? What if they come here?_ She thought suddenly as her gaze was drawn to the door. Her eyes widened as the door handle turned, her body jerking as it opened. It was John and Masako.

"You sure you're okay?" Monk-san asked in concern as Mai jerked and gasped, more in fear than surprise. John gave Mai an almost apologetic look as he realised he'd been the cause of her reaction, Masako hiding her face in amusement as the stepped closer to the bed and hovered beside Ayako.

"Fine…just startled." Mai replied hastily, trying to join in as Monk-san began to joke around, annoying Ayako to no end. The room was filled with laughter again; as it had been the other times she'd visited the hospital, only now it was Mai in the bed rather than Naru. Eventually the nurse came and ushered them out, but as he was about to leave Mai suddenly grabbed Monk-san's top, her knuckles white, her eyes desperate as she looked up at him.

"Uh; could you give us a few minutes?" Tee older man asked in surprise as the others filed out, Naru's worried glance falling on Mai as he hesitantly left with Lin. Monk-san waited until the door was shut before he turned back to Mai, who still had a firm grip on his top. "What's up Mai-chan? You've been a little jumpy today; did something happen?" He asked in concern as he stroked her cheek gently, his eyes widening as she buried herself in his chest, his arms pulling her close as she cried uncontrollably. A few moments later the door opened quietly, the nurse putting her head round the door, nodding and backing out at a sign from Monk-san. "Hey! It's okay; hush…Mai-chan, shh…" He soothed as he rocked her back and forth stroking her hair. Gradually he felt her calm down and relax in his embrace. Her eyes were closed as he looked down, so he gently leaned over the bed, lying her down gently and kissing her forehead lightly as he pulled the covers up to her chin. He stood for a few moments, his hand stroking her hair softly, but as he turned to leave he felt her grab his hand, and her eyes were on him again.

"Don't go…" She said pleadingly, relaxing as he sat down beside her and ran his fingers through her short locks.

"Why Mai? What are you scared of? Naru didn't do anything did he?" He demanded suddenly, relieved when Mai shook her head. "Not Lin-san!" He added in disbelief, again relieved as she shook her head. "Then what Mai?" He asked softly, but Mai shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Okay…You don't want to tell me, that's fine; I'll stay right here." He assured, tightening his grip on her hand slightly and smiling at her assuringly as she turned on her side to face him and closed her eyes, slowly relaxing until she fell asleep.

 

* * *

 

She woke up the next morning to find Monk-san still beside her, his hand still in hers, though the grip was lax where he had fallen asleep. His face was almost as carefree sleeping as it was most of the time he was awake. His hair had started to fall free from its small ponytail, the locks of his bangs strewn across his cheek and closed eyes. _Monk-san…you really stayed here all night?_ She thought gratefully, quietly embarrassed at how she'd behaved the night before.

"Mm…ohhhhhh." He groaned as he slowly sat up, reaching around to the back of his neck with a grimace. He opened his hazel eyes and looked around tiredly, as if he'd forgotten where he was for a moment. Despite waking up disorientated, Mai noticed that he hadn't loosened the grip on her hand at all.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" Mai asked guiltily as the pained expression faded and he gave her a grin, looking slightly sheepish as he straightened up and sat back in his seat. He released her hand as he did so; he could tell she was feeling better, and it was morning now.

"Don't worry, I'm used to it! Happens all the time when Ayako gets mad and I have to sleep on the sofa." He replied assuringly, his eyes widening slightly as he realised what he'd said. "Uh! That is-uh-I…Damn." He stuttered with a small blush as Mai smiled brightly. She'd suspected there was something going on for a while; they teased each other far too much for it to be simple rivalry.

"Don't worry; I'll keep your secret." Mai replied brightly. _Though it wasn't much of a secret…_ She thought as she remembered Monk-san's reaction to seeing Ayako injured. She'd never seen him look so scared before. _He really does care about her…Good for you Monk-san!_

"Thanks." He laughed sheepishly as he stood up and stretched, opting to sit on the bed rather than the chair. Mai could tell he meant business by the stern look in his eye. "Now; I think we need to talk." He said more seriously, his eyes filled with concern as he folded his arms.

"It's nothing I…I just didn't want to be alone…" Mai replied quickly, seeing Monk-san's eyes harden as he frowned at her. She should have known she wouldn't get away with such a simple excuse; not with Monk-san. _But maybe that's why I latched onto him so tightly…_

"Mai! You were more than uncomfortable, you were terrified! And I can't help if you don't tell me what's wrong!" The older man argued firmly, watching as Mai looked at her lap and fiddled with the bed cover. "You know you can tell me anything." He added assuringly as he laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. _I shouldn't tell him…There's nothing he can do! If I let him know he'll try to protect me; he'll get hurt! I'm so scared right now!_ She thought, her eyes filling with tears again.

"Monk-san!" She cried as she buried her face in his chest, breathing in his comforting scent. She felt Monk-san hold her, his hand stroking her hair softly. He really was like a brother. _I wish he really was my brother; then this wouldn't be happening right now!_

"What is it Mai? Tell me!" The monk urged more gently as he looked down at her tear stained face. She took his wrists with shaking hands and looked up at him as he cradled her face in his strong hands and wiped her tears away. He gave her a small nod. She could tell him. She could tell him anything.

"Monk-san…I'm in terrible-terrible trouble." She began, shifting over as Monk-san moved to sit next to her, leaning his back against the headboard with his arm around her shoulder protectively. She was leaning against his shoulder, noticing again how large he was, and strong. She could feel through his sweatshirt that his chest was firm. "My mother had no family. She was an only child and lost her parents, and my father…The only family he has left are two brothers…I never met them; my father protected me from them…They're terrible people! They buy and sell young women; even children sometimes. They also run a few brothels. Their main one is in Kyoto; that's where they live…They're my only legal guardians and…" She trailed off, shifting closer to Monk-san. The older man tightened his arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"And if they come for you they'll stick you in a brothel." He finished, gritting his teeth as he almost spat the words out. How on earth could Mai be related to people like that?

"Or worse." The young teen added with a shiver.

"Don't worry; I won't let them take you." Monk-san assured stubbornly as he laid a gentle hand on her head and ruffled her hair.

"But it's legal! There's nothing you can do!" She objected.

"I can threaten to let slip their little business to the police." He suggested thoughtfully.

"You can't! What they're doing is huge! The chief of police is their biggest supporter! If they get arrested they'll be set free straight away! You'll just get hurt!" She added desperately as she turned towards him and gripped his light blue top tightly. "You can't get involved…I'll just have to…" She trailed off, pulling her knees up to her chest, her hands slipping from Monk-san's chest to hug her knees tightly.

"If you think I am going to sit back and let that happen you have another thing coming!" Monk-san snapped, tightening his grip on her until she almost couldn't breathe. _Monk-san…He cares this much?_ "I'll never let that happen." He added darkly, turning the situation over in his head. There had to be something he could do. Mai shrank into Monk-san's arms as the door opened, revealing Naru and Fai.

"Fai! How's the house?" Mai asked as he came over with a box of chocolate and handed it to her, receiving a blush and thanks in return. Naru glanced at the monk, who had loosened his hold on Mai as they entered, but hadn't released her. One look at his clothes told the young ghost hunter that he'd been there all night.

"Fine thanks to you." Fai replied gratefully, wondering if he should say anything about the heavy atmosphere. "I did stop by last night, but visiting hours were over, and the nurse said you were a little upset." He added in concern, strongly suspecting that there was still something going on.

"Oh, I'm fine!" She insisted with a forced smile, confirming Fai's suspicions. He'd only known her for a few days, but the stiffness of her jawline, the slight squint around her eyes and the way she tilted her head slightly gave her away.

"Is that why you're burying yourself in Takigawa's side?" Naru asked sarcastically, masking his concern with indifference. Mai dropped her gaze at that. _I should have known I wouldn't be able to lie to Naru…_

"Naru; I need to talk to you outside." Monk-san said authoritatively as he got up and walked to the door, pausing to look over his shoulder as he turned the handle. "Fai; you stay here okay?" He added, receiving a nod in return. He wasn't a part of their group, so whatever was going on really didn't concern him. Perhaps he should be a little hurt, but this group were like a family. It was something he couldn't just walk into. While they were gone Mai listened as Fai told her about the house; the servants had returned, the snow was gone, and he had started clearing the garden to plant new plants in the spring. He'd decided to lay Mika to rest in her garden, and had even arranged for Eishi's body to be moved to the new burial site to lie with her.

"Mai; where's your house key?" Naru all but demanded as he re-entered. Mai looked around in surprise. Of all the things she had expected Naru to say, that was low on the list.

"I'm not sure…If it's not in my clothes it should be back at Fai's house with the rest of my stuff." She replied thoughtfully, watching as Naru hunted through her clothes, obviously coming to the conclusion that the key wasn't there. It was a minor inconvenience; with any luck they could call the mansion and have a maid search.

"Monk-san is going back to your house to take your stuff over to Ayako's house." Naru informed as he left the room. _Monk-san…Naru…Ayako…They're all protecting me…_ Mai thought, her chest feeling warm and light at the thought. Naru re-entered and sat beside her as Fai took his leave, saying he would see her again once she got out of the hospital. "Speaking of getting out, I spoke to the doctor and he thinks you'll be able to leave tomorrow, though he'll want you to take it easy for a while." Naru said, taking her hand gently as he looked into her eyes supportively.

"That's good I guess…" Mai replied, her thoughts shifting to her uncles, who were sure to turn up at some point; if they hadn't already. Mai felt the bed shift as Naru sat beside her, pulling her into his arms. _Naru…He smells so different to Monk-san…and his touch is so different from Lin-san…Lin's skin is so soft…_ She thought as she closed her eyes, opening them again as the thought occurred. She looked up at Naru's face, which was filled with affection for a change, far more like the boy in her dreams than he'd ever been before. His blue eyes were flooded with warmth, bringing heat to Mai's cheeks as he gave her a small smile of assurance.

"Don't worry; we'll protect you…I'll protect you." He assured firmly as he reached up to caress Mai's cheek and reposition her head. _Lin and Monk-san said the same…They really do care for me, all of them…_ She thought warmly as Naru leaned in a brushed his lips against hers lightly. Mai allowed her eyes to flutter shut as Naru leaned further into her body, his arm slipping across her waist to support himself on the bed as he deepened the kiss. Feeling his tongue brush her lower lip Mai opened her mouth and allowed him entry, a small moan escaping as his tongue tangled with hers. She was feeling hot again. She hadn't felt this hot since Lin had kissed her. _But his kiss cooled me down…the way his chi flowed through me was…Don't think that!_ She scolded, blushing as she broke the kids and hid her face in Naru's chest. "What's wrong Mai?" Naru asked in confusion, still a little breathless from the kiss.

"Nothing, just…hold me for a while." She replied quietly, feeling him move to lie down, pulling her with him so that he could comfortably hold her in his arms. She leaned her head on his shoulder and breathed in his familiar scent. _Lin smells really masculine, he just has a hint of peppermint and smoke from his cigarettes, but Naru…he's so much stronger and darker…_ She thought as her arm snaked over his waist.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

"Alright; come on in." Ayako invited brightly as she opened one of the front doors. Mai stepped into the large house. _Yeah right! That's an understatement! This house is huge! It must have four bedrooms at least!_ Mai thought as she took off her backpack and put it on one of the numerous boxes in the hall, all of which contained her belongings.

"Wow! You did all of this yourself Monk-san?" Mai asked as she looked at all the boxes, some labelled 'kitchen' others 'clothing' and then there were others that she wasn't so keen to delve into such as 'loft' and 'father's room' that were stacked up further back. There were dozens of boxes, as well as carefully wrapped pictures and furnishings that they'd thought she'd like to keep.

"No-no! Lin-san and John helped; even Fai once he'd attended to his own business. No one was there when we went in, and there was no sign of forced entry; though since technically the deeds to the house will pass to your uncles until you hit eighteen they would have been able to get the keys from anyone…" He replied to her silent question, laying a hand on her head as he noticed her expression drop ever so slightly. _Well…at least they weren't there when Monk-san and the others turned up._ She thought in relief. _They won't leave me forever; especially since the house will go into my name one day, but at least for now…_

"Let's get you settled. Come on, I have a room for you; you'll love it! I know!" Ayako said excitedly, pulling Mai towards the stairs. As they went Mai looked around; the whole house was wood, even the floor didn't have carpet and as she walked by a window she saw a huge garden filled with cherry trees, which would be beautiful in blossom season. On the second floor, over looking the back garden, Mai was ushered into a huge room. There was a four-poster double bed, wood with white curtains and white sheets, the floor space was huge and there was a set of delicate French doors leading to a large balcony. Mai went to it and looked through the doors; beyond the trees she could see mountains, and there were hot springs behind the house too. Mai could see the steam from the water and the outline of the pool.

"Ayako, it's…beautiful…" Mai said breathlessly, the sky slowly reddening in the distance over the mountains as sunset set in. It was truly a breath taking sight, one you didn't see too often so close to Tokyo. _But then Ayako's parents own a string of hospitals, so I shouldn't be so surprised that she has a place like this…_ Ayako joined Mai at the balcony doors and put her hands on her shoulders gently.

"I told you you'd love it." She replied brightly as she too looked at the mountains; a view she could see from her own room too. She straightened the white curtains, of which there were three pairs; one for the French doors and the two others on either side for the large windows.

"I'll start bringing your stuff up. Ayako; why don't you take her to the hot springs? I'm sure Mai must be tired after the journey here." Monk-san suggested as he put down one of the bedroom boxes by the door. Mai readily agreed and went with Ayako to see the springs. There was a large one just down the path from the house in the back garden, which Mai slowly walked around, stepping from rock to rock around the edge of the pool.

"This is great Ayako!" Mai exclaimed as she slipped her shoes and socks off, dipping her feet in the warm water and slowly lowering herself to sit on the rock.

"Isn't it? Hey; what do you say we come out here later tonight? It should be a clear night, and you can really see the stars out here!" Ayako replied as she too slipped out of her shoes and sat beside Mai, who nodded in response to the earlier question. _I wonder how long I have left here…_ She wondered as she leaned back on her hands and looked up at the sky, which was slowly fading from blue to grey with hints of red and gold.

"Hey! We have company!" Monk-san shouted from the balcony of Mai's room. As Mai looked up she saw Lin and John on the balcony, soon joined by Fai. John waved politely as Mai raised her hand in greeting, deciding to not ruin the peace by shouting back. Ayako and Mai walked bare foot back to the house, leaving their shoes by the door as they entered.

"Hey! Can I get you a drink of some sort?" Ayako asked as she put her socks in the linen basket and Mai followed suit. John looked up briefly from the box he was about to pick up, having volunteered to help Monk-san moving things upstairs.

"Uh; tea would be nice, thank you! I'll check with the others too." He replied gratefully as he hefted the box and steadily headed to the stairs as if it weighed nothing at all. Mai had never thought John would be that strong from looking at him. _I wonder where Naru and Masako are…_ Mai wondered, not liking the burn the flamed up in her chest when she thought of the two of them being absent together. _Look; just because they're absent at the same time doesn't mean that they're together, and even if they are Naru chose me! He's stayed with me this far…_

"Mai, are you alright?" Lin asked as he entered the kitchen, causing Mai to jump in surprise. He was perceptive; his dark eyes fixed on her as he read her mood, his expression softening as he realised he'd scared her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." He added with a hint of apology as he leaned on the doorframe.

"Oh no! It's fine; don't worry!" Mai replied brightly, blushing as Lin stepped closer and paused with her by the counter, telling Ayako that the others would all like tea. _He's so tall and lean…I wonder what it would feel like to be lifted up by him…_ Mai wondered, blushing as Lin looked down at her, his eyebrow raising ever so slightly as he noticed the look in her eye. "Oh yes; thank you very much for helping with the boxes." She thanked with a small bow, feeling Lin put a hand on her head lightly, which was something he'd never done before.

"Don't worry about it." He replied with a smile, Mai feeling her cheeks heat at the gesture. His hand was so much larger than Monk-san's, but no less gentle as he stroked her soft locks. He stepped back as the front door opened and Naru walked in with his nose buried in a small stack of papers. He headed into the kitchen without looking up and stopped beside Mai and Lin.

"Naru! Tea?" Ayako asked in greeting as she opened the cupboard for cups.

"Yes please." He replied distractedly, still reading through the papers. Mai watched him and waited, tapping her foot after a while when he apparently didn't notice her. Glancing up at Lin she saw him holding back a smile, quite unsuccessfully as he looked down at her, knowing she was getting worked up, and at the same time knowing that Naru also knew it. Mai stopped tapping her foot and was about to tell Naru to stop being rude and ignoring her when he lowered the papers and looked at her, causing her to blush as he laid a finger on her lips to silence her. In a moment of devilry Mai took his wrist and licked his finger before tugging his hand away. Naru's eyes widened slightly as she stood on tiptoe, one hand gently gripping the front of his jacket while the other still held his wrist as she leaned close to his ear.

"You know that won't shut me up…You should try something else…" She suggested quietly, her breath ghosting across his earlobe as she all but purred against his neck. She was slightly satisfied, catching a glint in his blue eyes as she pulled back.

"Oh Naru! I didn't know you'd arrived." Monk-san greeted as he entered the kitchen, oblivious to the look passing between the two teens. "That's the last of it, well for the bedroom at least. We'll put the rest in the basement tomorrow." He added as Ayako handed him a cup of tea, the monk raising the cup to his lips and just resting it there for a moment before taking a small sip. Mai took her tea gratefully and handed Naru his, his hands cradling hers for a moment as he took the white china from her delicate fingers.

"Well, I think I'll go unpack." Mai decided with her usual brightness, glancing at Naru as she left and heading upstairs to her room, where she found all of the boxes, as well as her furniture, from the bedroom. As she was reading the label of the final box the door opened and Naru slipped inside, bolting the door behind him before walking to Mai and putting his arms around her almost possessively, his lips meeting hers softly. _Took him long enough…_

Mai pulled back and put her arms around his neck tightly, taking a few steps back, slowly leading him back towards bed. As her knees hit the edge she allowed herself to fall, pulling Naru with her. Luckily the older teen had noticed the direction of her tugs and caught himself as they fell, hovering above her as their bodied almost touched. Naru smirked as he leaned down and kissed her neck, nipping and biting lightly as he unbuttoned her shirt, sliding it down her shoulders. He could feel her shiver as his fingers slid along the pale skin of her back, dragging the white material down her small shoulders.

Mai shifted back on the bed so that her legs weren't hanging over the edge while Naru knelt straddling her hips, one hand supporting her back while the other supported his weight. Mai reached up and opened his shirt, using it to pull him down to her so that she could gain access to his neck. She bit down hard, hearing him growl in her ear, the sound sending shivers down her spine. She felt his teeth tugging her bra strap up and then releasing it, the strap slapping her shoulder, leaving it stinging slightly.

"Was that a hint?" Mai purred as she allowed Naru to pull her up, giving him access to her bra-clips, which Naru deftly unclipped and tossed away, laying her down gently as he kissed his way down to her breasts, feeling her writhe beneath him as his lips went to work. He nipped the side of her breast sharply to repay her for his neck, a small moan escaping her lips at the mixture of pleasure and pain. He could fell her hands slipping up his back beneath his shirt, pulling him closer. One of her hands reached up and curled in his hair, stroking and tugging the ebony locks. Naru slowly moved away from her chest, his fingers slowly tugging at the zip of her skirt, climbing off her as he slid the garment down her legs, pulling her panties off with it.

Remaining on the bed beside her, Naru kissed his way across her stomach before going lower, flicking his tongue over her entrance, continuing his ministrations as Mai clutched the sheets moaning. It was a little awkward from the side. He looped one arm beneath one thigh and leaned down while using his free hand to push her other leg further away. He could feel her legs trying to close as his breath ghosted across her core, his tongue dragging through her silken folds. Naru felt a tug on the corner of his shirt, allowing himself to be guided up to Mai's lips, where he kissed her deeply, feeling her hands slid down his stomach to work slowly on his belt.

Naru groaned as she loosened his trousers and pulled his member free, slowly stroking back and forth as he carefully pulled off his pants and trousers. He felt her squeeze him tightly, her strokes becoming more urgent as she stared up at him. He didn't say a word as he removed her hands, smirking as he returned his hands to her thighs. He kept his eyes on hers, watching her tilt her head slightly before she gasped in surprised as he rolled. Mai blushed as she looked over her shoulder, seeing Naru wrap his arms around her thighs, dragging her backwards in the process. Mai fell forwards, catching herself with her hands. Her cheeks reddened as she realised what Naru was doing a moment before she felt his tongue lapping between her folds. She bit her lip as her probed her entrance, his tongue slipping inside before rising higher.

Naru almost smirked as he felt her thighs twitch at his actions, knowing that she would have a blush on her cheeks as she gasped. Naru closed his eyes as he lapped her nub, releasing one of her thighs as he probed her entrance with his fingers. He heard her gasp as he slipped one finger inside, her warmth closing around the digit as he stroked her inner walls. His eyes opened a fraction as he felt Mai shift, her hand wrapping around his member gently as she stroked him. He nuzzled her thigh in thanks as he added a second finger, opening his eyes as he arched her back slightly, a small hum escaping his lips as he lay back, a trail of saliva escaping his lips as he smirked. A small moan escaped his lips as he felt Mai's grip tighten, her strokes becoming firmer as she leaned down. He tried not to jerk his hips as her lips closed around him.

Mai felt a moan rise in her throat as Naru's pumps became harder, his fingers forcing deeper before curling to drag down her walls. _Two can play at that game…_ She thought as she sucked harder, hearing a small his escape his lips with some smugness. She upped the pace, wincing as she felt Naru add a third finger with a rough jab. He murmured an apology as he felt her flinch a little, but she didn't break her pace, so he continued his ministrations. Mai paused as she felt his member throb in her hand, pulling back to look over her shoulder at Naru, who had raised his head to lap the silken skin around his fingers.

"N-Naru!" Mai gasped as he hit a nerve, a shot running through her as his fingers brushed her core. Naru looked around her thigh almost smugly as he drove his fingers against that spot again, watching Mai bite her lip as she let out a moan. They locked eyes as he continued, each impact forcing a small moan or gasp from the girl above him. He could feel her inner walls quivering in anticipation, her thighs stiffening as her hips began to jerk against him. He tightened his grip around her thigh as he tried to hold her still, finally feeling her come with a strangled moan.

Mai didn't have time to fall down before she was flipped, the older boy climbing off to reposition himself between her legs. Naru allowed her to position him at her entrance, her legs moving up to wrap around his waist securely, slowly edging him forwards. Mai's eyes closed as she felt his member slowly filling her until he was fully sheathed in her warmth, her core still quivering from her previous orgasm. She kept him there she a while, her legs tightly keeping him in place, enjoying the torture she was thrusting on them both until finally releasing and allowing him to pull back.

She sighed as he pulled back, pausing when he was almost out and staying there, teasing her as she had teased him, waiting until she moved her hips up to his. That was when he thrust back into her roughly. He pulled back at a slow and measured pace, pinning her wrists down and kissing her neck, not allowing her to speed up the pace. He enjoyed her helpless pleading moans, keeping the pace slow even as they reached orgasm, though it took all of his self control. It was worth the wait though; the wave of pleasure was longer and fuller than any they had experienced before, the slowness of the thrusts drawing it out that much longer. Once it was over Naru rolled off and collapsed beside her in exhaustion.

"I'm glad you're settling in here." He sighed eventually, his breathing heavy as he lay beside her looking up at the white canopy, feeling Mai's arm slip across his waist. The bed was firm beneath them, the thick mattress offering a comfortable layer of softness. It was clearly expensive, though from the size of the house and Ayako's tastes that didn't particularly surprise him.

"So am I." Mai replied quietly as she leaned further into his chest. _Though I don't know how long it will last…_ She thought, jumping as there was a familiar knock on the door. She felt her heart settle almost immediately. For now she was in a house filled with her friends. No one could get her there.

"Naru! Mai! We're going down to the hot spring! Get changed and come join us!" Monk-san called through the door, neither trying the handle nor asking what they were doing. Mai looked at Naru and smiled remembering the last time Monk-san had interrupted them, and seeing the smirk she got in return it seemed he too remembered.

"Okay; we'll be right out!" Mai called as she got to her feet and went to rummage through some boxes, knowing she had a swimsuit somewhere. Looking at the labels she tried to figure out where to start; personally she would have stored tem with her underwear. _So that's where I'll start…_

"Masako just arrived too; do you have a spare swimsuit?" Monk-san asked through the door. She found it; right between summer tops and winter trousers was a smaller box marked 'intimates'. _Who labelled these?_ She wondered, almost in amusement as she recognised John's delicately curled handwriting.

"Yeah; hold on while I find it!" Mai replied as Naru pulled on his clothes. Mai pulled out two swimsuits, glad that they had been in the first box she'd opened, and pulled one on before opening the door and handing the other to Monk-san, who led Naru off to find him some swim wear. Mai grabbed her white dressing gown and slipped her feet into her slippers before heading down to the springs. When she got there Ayako, John, Lin and Fai were already in the water, candles placed around the rocks for light as well as a cool-box full of bottled drinks. _Suddenly I don't feel so comfortable…_ Mai thought as she looked at the occupants of the pool. Ayako wore a dark red bikini, the upper half of her body out of the water where she sat on a rock near the surface of the pool, the other men all had their bare torsos on display, all well-toned to varying degrees. Lin's was the most muscular of the three.

"What are you waiting for Mai? Hang your night gown on a branch and get in here!" Ayako urged brightly as she dragged her fingers through the hot water. "And pick a drink; I have alcoholic and non-alcoholic." She added as Mai slowly made her way around to where Ayako was, standing beside the tree, hesitant to pull off her gown. "Come on Mai!" Ayako prompted. _Okay; just do it. Take it off and get in the water as quickly as possible._ She thought encouragingly, slowly opening the gown and slipping it off, hanging it on a branch before hurrying to Ayako's side and slipping into the water. She blushed as she caught Lin's eyes on her. _I know that look…_ She thought, thinking back to the night of the ball when Naru had first loosened her bodice. Her blush deepened at the memory. "Here, try this! You like pineapple right?" Ayako said as she handed a cold bottle to Mai, who nodded and sipped the fruity liquid.

"Masako! Welcome!" Fai called, sounding quite tipsy as he raised his bottle with a grin. "Come in-come in; sit over her next to John!" He added with a wink, causing John to blush and Masako to hide her face behind the sleeve of Monk-san's robe. Monk-san and Naru were just behind, both wearing dark swimming trunks. _And Monk-san just beat Lin in the muscle department._ Mai thought with a blush as she looked at Monk-san's well built chest as he slipped into the water between Mai and Ayako. Naru climbed down beside Mai, his hand stroking her leg beneath the water.

"You look good." He whispered as he leaned next to her ear briefly, smirking as she blushed. _Maybe I shouldn't have worn this…_ She thought, feeling quite self-conscious in the low-cut white costume with a large circle in the centre where her stomach was uncovered. Masako slipped out of her robe and stepped into the water beside John at Fai's insistence, both blushing as they caught the other's eye, John looking guiltily off into the woods while Masako just looked down at the water. Luckily the black costume Masako was wearing was a standard all in one that covered her nicely; Mai hadn't thought Masako would appreciate a revealing costume. _Seems I was right…_ She added in amusement as the dark haired girl sank deeper into the water so that the water washed over her breasts, leaving only her chest visible.

"This is nice…So I guess this is case closed." Monk-san said conversationally as he sat back, a bottle of beer in one hand and his other arm round Ayako's waist beneath the water. Meanwhile Ayako leaned her head on Monk-san's chest and looked up at the stars, sipping from a smaller bottle of what looked like sake. It seemed they now saw no need for secrecy; it had been obvious since the end of the case that they were together.

"Yes, it seems so." Lin replied from Mai's other side, where he also drank a fruit drink similar to Mai's. His eyes rested on Mai as she looked up, causing a blush to cross her cheeks briefly. His gaze was strangely intense, and surprised as he realised they were staring at each other. Mai's eyes flicked to Naru to find him looking at her curiously. She shifted closer to him, his arm moving from her leg to her back, and Lin's eyes quickly shifted to his bottle.

"I wonder what will come up next…" Ayako wondered aloud as she shifted closer to Monk-san and leaned her head on his shoulder. _A couple of human slave traders I expect…_ Mai thought, not daring to say it aloud. _I want to enjoy tonight…I could be gone tomorrow…_ She thought, leaning back on Naru and looking up. The stars, as Ayako had said, were clear and shining in the sky above. It was beautiful, like a mosaic of fireflies.

"As a matter of fact we have our next case. Two clients would like to visit the office tomorrow; they haven't given any details of the case yet, we'll hear that tomorrow." Naru replied as his hand crept around to caress Mai's thigh gently, his body edging a little closer to hers. _I feel so tired…_ Mai thought as she leaned back on Naru and closed her eyes, quite content in the warm water and Naru's arms.

"Hey Mai, you feeling tired? Maybe you should go back to the house. It is getting late and the steam in here does make some people feel faint; especially those of a small build." Ayako said worriedly as she moved around to Mai to get a closer look at her, the honey haired girl not responding as she opened her dazed eyes. "She's swooning; someone take her back to the house." Ayako concluded, moving aside as Monk-san got to his feet and leaned down to pick her up.

"I got her." The monk said as he lifted her sleeping form into his arms and stepped easily out of the water, not slipping up at all as he stepped across the rocks to the path. It was dark, but with the stars out and the light from the house he could see his way back to the house with ease.

"I'll come with you." Naru added as he got to his feet and climbed out of the water. "I'm going to turn in for the night." He decided, grabbing Mai's gown and slippers before heading to the house with Monk-san. Somewhere along the way Mai fell asleep, shivering slightly in the cold against the monk's wet torso.

 

* * *

 

"Mai." Naru's voice soothed quietly, a gentle hand shaking her shoulder. Mai groaned and opened her eyes sleepily to find herself on a chair in her room with a large fluffy towel wrapped around her. "Time to get ready for bed." He murmured as his hands rubbed the soft towel over her skin gently.

"Mm…" Mai replied tiredly, allowing Naru to pull her to her feet and peel off her swimsuit, too tired to feel embarrassed as he dried her and took her to the bed, slipping his shirt onto her and buttoning it up. He'd never seen her this tired before, or so cute.

"Alright, time to sleep." He sighed gently as he pulled the covers over her and climbed on the bed beside her, his arm resting firmly across her waist as she slipped to sleep. Naru remained awake a while, watching her sleep. Her face was so peaceful sleeping; she didn't seem to have a care in the world. She hummed lightly, turning further into his embrace until her face was almost buried in his chest. Naru allowed his expression to soften as he looked down at her, his lips brushing the top of her head before he closed his eyes.


	14. Chapter Fourteen

"So, who are these clients?" Monk-san asked as Naru unlocked and office door. It was still early, barely even ten O'clock, but with the lack of details Naru wasn't sure when they would be visiting. Naru opened his mouth to answer as he turned the door handle but found himself cut short.

"That would be us." A gruff voice replied from within. Naru's eyes snapped to the couch as the door swung open. Two middle-aged men sat there, both wearing dark casual clothes. Naru's gaze sharpened as he eyed the pair. _How did they even get in here?_ Monk-san pushed Naru back and stepped in ahead as everyone else appeared in the doorway.

"Who are you?" He demanded warily as he stepped forward, looking more adult than Naru could recall seeing him before. Generally he wouldn't have felt intimidated by Monk-san in the least, even when they were arguing. _But now…_ "And how did you get in here?" The older man added as he leaned on the back of on of the sofas glaring at them, but before they could reply their eyes turned away to the doorway, where Mai stood with a look of terror on her face.

"Not you, not now…" She whispered pleadingly as she backed into the wall, her hands covering her face. It felt like her heart had stopped, ice running down her spine as goose bumps pricked her skin. Lin and Naru stepped in front of her protectively while Ayako went to Mai and put her arms around her protectively, and Masako stood firmly at her side while John stood in the doorway.

"Let's not be so hasty. I am Haru Taniyama, and this is my brother, Shinta Taniyama. We are Mai's legal guardians, and as such, we have come here to collect her." Haru, the older of the two, said calmly with a hint of warning in his voice as his gaze stopped on Monk-san, who was close to recklessly attacking the men in front of him. Monk-san regarded them for a moment as he straightened up to his full height; he wasn't as tall as Lin, but with his muscular frame he still made his point.

"She's not going anywhere with you." Monk-san said firmly, stepping forward and sizing up Haru, who was about his size with short black hair. If it came to blows Monk-san knew he could probably take Haru; definitely if Lin helped. Shinta seemed quite timid; a stare from Naru or a gentle restraining hand from John would probably have him backing off. Haru was the ringleader. Monk-san stared into Haru's dark calculating eyes, both of them doing the math.

"There's no need for violence you know…" The younger brother piped up hastily as he saw Haru's mouth twitch. Shinta was more John's size, and his hair was the same light brown as Mai's and his eyes, like Mai's were soft and gentle. It was hard to believe him capable of any evil.

"We are her legal guardians, and we will take her, whether it is with or without police involvement is your decision." Haru stated coldly, stepping closer to Monk-san so that they were eye level, both glaring hard. Monk-san was winning the battle of dominance physically, but he could see in Haru's eyes that he had one more card to play. Monk-san stood firm. He wouldn't give over, not a chance.

"H-Haru; there's no need for that!" Shinta objected with an almost urgent tone as he laid a hand on his brother's shoulder, falling to the floor as Haru backhanded him across the face. Shinta flinched as he fell, holding his redden cheek as he looked up at his older brother like a kicked puppy. The atmosphere had tense somewhat, Lin and Naru stepping in a little further to cover Mai as John hesitantly stepped into the room, looking down at the young brother almost pityingly.

"Keep out of this you idiot!" Haru scolded harshly before rounding on Monk-san, grabbing the front of his white top. "I don't like you much." Haru almost spat through gritted teeth. Despite the grip, he didn't step too close to the monk, sensing the older man was about his match. He might not win if it got too physical, but intimidation wasn't working either.

"The feeling's mutual." Monk-san replied calmly, ignoring the hold on his top completely. He wasn't about to be rattled by a common scumbag. As far as he could tell the guy was just posturing, but that didn't mean it wouldn't get more physical soon.

"If you resist then I'll sell her…She'd fetch a good price with that pretty face and figure…at least ten million yen I'd say…She is a virgin after all." He thought aloud as he looked over Mai's body, relishing in the small shiver he watched run through her as she looked into his eyes. His vision was cut off as Naru stepped in front of her protectively, completely blocking him off with an icy blue stare. He'd had enough/

"That's where you're wrong!" Naru replied as he walked further inside and pushed Monk-san aside. Monk-san didn't even have time to react as the teen punched Haru in the jaw, his head snapping to the side with the impact. The older man flinched slightly, raising a hand to nurse the offended area with an almost amused smirk.

"So she's a cheap whore. That works for me; I love cheap whores. I have houses full of them, and in brothels the more experience the better!" Haru replied with a grin, laughing as Naru glared up at him, his fists shaking in anger. The only reason the younger teen didn't pounce right then was the firm had that clapped on his shoulder saying 'I understand, but control yourself'. _There has to be a way around it…_

"Mai!" Naru said suddenly as he went over to her and grabbed her hand. "Marry me." He said urgently. The look on Mai's face would have been comical had the situation been different; her eyes widened as she looked at him in utter confusion as if to say 'You're doing this now?'

"What?" She asked incredulously, part of her unsure she'd heard correctly while the other part couldn't believe he'd brought that particular subject up.

"Marry me Damnit! If you're married your husband becomes your legal guardian, meaning they can't touch you!" He explained hurriedly, seeing the solution dawn on Mai. Technically it was true, and it would have been a good idea under other circumstances. The cold laughter across the room told Mai that flaws in the plan had already been spotted however.

"A good theory, but with a few flaws. Firstly, you have to get out of here and actually marry. Secondly, she can't get married without her guardian's consent until she's eighteen. That's at least a few months away. Sorry to burst your bubble." He added mockingly, watching Naru thinking a way around it. If anyone could think their way about of a paper bag it was Naru. Monk-san could see the cogs turning and lightning speed, bouncing from idea to idea without any luck.

"Alright; you won't give your consent, so how about you?" Monk-san asked, turning to Shinta, who was still on the floor, his hand held to his jaw where he had been struck. Shinta looked slightly stunned as he caught Monk-san's almost imploring eye, shifting his timid gaze to his brother fearfully before shaking his head. "Alright, I don't blame you." Monk-san sighed in defeat, seeing Shinta's gaze drop guiltily.

"I guess it's about time we were leaving." Haru said with a sense of superiority as he went to walk by Monk-san, who stepped in his way. Both men paused and stood firm, their eyes locking once more. Monk-san's jaw clenched tightly.

"You're not taking her." He said firmly.

"I grow tired of this." Haru sighed as he pulled a gun out of his pocket, shooting Monk-san through the chest and looking down at his bleeding form with disinterest. There was a moment of stunned silence as the shot echoed out, even Shinta staring in disbelief at what his brother had done.

"Houshou!" Ayako cried as she hurried forward, feeling Haru grab her hair as she knelt beside Monk-san. "Let go!" She shouted, feeling the hard metal of the gun pressed against her head, the barrel digging into her skull. She could feel her heart pounding as she winced, raising her eyes to the man above her with a mixture of fear and loathing. John hesitated, wondering if he'd be able to barge Haru away without getting Ayako killed. That option didn't look good.

"Alright! We're leaving with Mai. Now!" Haru all but shouted as he tugged Ayako's hair. As her red locks tumbled away from her face Shinta raised his eyes, which widened in recollection.

"Brother wait! Don't I know you?" Shinta asked curiously as he knelt in front of Ayako and looked at her as she found the grip on her hair loosened. She couldn't break free, but she could open Monk-san's shirt and examine the wound. "It is you!" Shinta exclaimed in shock.

"What do you mean?" Ayako asked with something akin to disinterest, not looking up from Monk-san's chest. She used his shirt to wipe away the worst of the blood before fingering the small hold in his chest, unable to tell whether the bullet had passed through or was trapped deeper inside. She also couldn't tell if it had damaged any of his organs.

"It was about three years ago, in Kyoto…" Shinta began.

 

* * *

 

"Hold on brother!" Shinta cried as he half dragged Haru down the darkened streets, no one in sight as they stumbled towards the hospital, which was miles away. _I don't know what to do! Should we even go there? We're wanted criminals!_ He thought in a panic as he paused, gasping as Haru fell to the ground beside him. "Haru! Hold on please!" He cried as he laid his brother down, wondering what he was going to do.

"What's going on?" A feminine voice all but demanded. He looked up to see a beautiful young woman with long red hair looking down at him, her breath condensing on the air as she looked down in concern. He felt his cheeks heat slightly as he looked up; she really was pretty. She was also waiting for an answer.

"M-my brother; he's been shot!" Shinta replied helplessly, watching as the young woman's dark eyes widened and she pulled off her long white fur-lined coat. She was wearing a smart suit beneath, the skirt hugging her thighs as she fell to her knees, setting her brief case aside. She was suddenly so intense as she gazed at his brother's prone form.

"Where's the wound?" She demanded as she opened Haru's coat, seeing that the white shirt Haru was wearing beneath was soaked with blood. It was fairly fresh; it was still warm on her fingers as she began unbuttoning it. There was a lot of it. He was still bleeding heavily.

"H-His chest. Here." Shinta replied as he pointed to the right side of his ribcage, where Ayako could feel splintered ribs beneath his unbroken skin. Clearly there had been a physical struggle as well as the gun shot. The man was still breathing, and he didn't seem to be having difficulty. _That doesn't mean the lung hasn't collapsed…_

"Shit! You called an ambulance right?" She snapped as her fingers delicately probed the wound, her expression worried. If the bullet had caught his ribs it could have ricocheted anywhere, and caused damage to any organs.

"W-well no." Shinta replied sheepishly as he ran a bloodied hand through his hair, not even noticing the sticky substance in his hair.

"What? You're brother is dying here! He needs to be at the hospital as soon as possible! Grab my phone!" She snapped, ripping the sleeve of her shirt off and pressing it to the bleeding wound. The shirt wasn't exactly great for soaking blood, but it would have to do. Shinta rummaged in her bag and handed her a sleek silver phone, taking a peek at some of the papers in the bag. All of them with 'Matsuzaki Central Hospital' in the corner of the pages. _She's a…doctor?_ He thought in amazement as he continued flicking through, finding a name. _Dr. Ayako Matsuzaki…_

"Kaoru! I need an ambulance on the main street! Now! No 'buts'; now!" She shouted before hanging up the phone, just holding the bloody material to the wound firmly. There was nothing more she could do. "Shit! The bleeding isn't stopping! Don't you dare fucking die!" She shouted at Haru as his skin paled. Shinta looked up as blue lights appeared and an ambulance pulled up, paramedics quickly gathering round.

"Dr. Matsuzaki! What happened here?" One of the men asked as they gathered around with equipment. One of the paramedics took over from Ayako, getting a thick pad of gauze to use rather than the shirt. Ayako wasted no time as she got to her feet, taking the more senior role as the paramedics worked on moving the body.

"Bullet wound; it's penetrated three ribs and the lung on the right hand side. We need to get him to surgery!" She replied as she climbed into the ambulance, another paramedic grabbing her brief case. The doors closed and the ambulance pulled off to the hospital as Shinta stood at the side of the road, picking up Ayako's forgotten coat and watching the empty street.

 

* * *

 

"Don't you remember?" Shinta asked incredulously, as Ayako remained kneeling looking down at Monk-san's wound, which was a lot like the one Haru had sustained. Ayako could have sighed if she could spare the breath. Unfortunately, she had an idiot to save.

"I see hundreds, no thousands of people in a year; I don't remember them all…but then again…I do remember a cold December night in Kyoto." She replied reminiscently, ripping the sleeve off her shirt and pressing it on the wound. "But that's not important right now! I need an ambulance! Quick!" She shouted, ignoring the gun as she turned to John, who nodded and took the chance to run out of the door, a bullet whizzing past his head as he ran for all he was worth.

"Shinta! Stop him!" Haru ordered, turning to look at Shinta as he just stood there watching Ayako work. "Are you deaf?" Haru asked incredulously, unable to believe that his brother had just ignored him. Shinta shivered slightly as he met his brother's gaze with uncertain eyes.

"No…I-I won't stop him!" Shinta replied decisively as he looked up from where he had remained kneeling across from Ayako. He met his brother's gaze fearfully, unsure what the older sibling would do. It was the first time he had outright refused an order, but one good turn deserved another. Ayako had saved his brother; the least he could do was let her try to save the man on the floor.

"I see…In that case." Haru sighed regretfully as he raised the gun and pulled the trigger. He watched emotionlessly as his brother fell to the floor, his hazel eyes wide and vacant. At the wall Mai screamed, diving past Ayako to Shinta's side. _This whole time…all these years…I thought it was both of you. I'm sorry Shinta; I'm sorry you got caught up with Haru! I'm sorry I-It's my fault you're dead!_ She thought as she looked at the vacant eyes, so much like her own. She felt hands on her shoulders and looked up to see Lin, his eyes full of warmth and concern. "Mai, you will get up, and you will come with me, or I will shoot him next." Haru threatened as he shifted the gun to Lin. _Lin-san? Why Lin-san?_ She wondered, seeing something dawn on Haru as he looked between Mai and Lin's shocked faces. "Or perhaps I am mistaken…Very well; this one." He decided, shifting to aim at Naru, who merely glared in return.

"Haru! Stop this!" Masako cried as she stepped forward, the gun shifting to her as she stepped closer. Kneeling on the floor Mai looked up at Masako, realising straight away that it wasn't her. By the slightly dulled edge to her hazel eyes Mai could tell the young medium was no longer in control of her body as she walked closer to stand beside Shinta's body.

"Get back girl!" Haru shouted in warning as Masako's forehead touched the barrel of the gun. Mai was surprised Haru had allowed her to get to close, but perhaps he could sense the difference on some level too. He certainly seemed to be eyeing Masako as she stared up at him.

"Do you not recognise me Haru?" Masako asked, her expression softening slightly in understanding. Haru looked impatient at first, but as he looked closer he recognised the gentle look in her eyes. It was something he hadn't seen for a very long time.

"Hideki, my dear baby brother; I didn't think it possible…So…what do you want?" Haru asked as he shifted his aim back to Naru and stared at Masako, t believing his brother would try anything. Not while he was in the girl's body. He was kind and weak; he wouldn't risk harming someone else.

"I want you to leave my daughter alone." Hideki replied firmly, though his voice was gentle and lacking in conviction. "Do this for me; I am your brother!" He added almost pleadingly. Haru almost scoffed at the thought as he looked at Masako, able to see his brother's inner turmoil as he stared up imploringly.

"Ah, but dear brother, your daughter would make me a lot of money, as would that nice house of yours." Haru replied with an edge of amusement. Mai felt Lin's hand rest on her shoulder assuringly. John had gone to get help. Someone would be here any minute. They wouldn't let Haru take her away from them. Despite that, Mai couldn't help a shiver running through her as Haru's eyes shifted to look at her.

"Is that all you want?" Came a new voice from the open doorway. Haru looked up in surprise to see Fai leaning casually on the doorframe with his arms folded. _Fai? But…why is he…_ "Well, if that's it then perhaps we can cut a deal. I am, after all, the lord of a sizable estate." The blonde added as he stepped inside and looked at the carnage in unveiled disgust. The gun shifted to aim at him, the blonde sighing as he ran a hand through is blonde locks. "Oh put it away. I've come here on business." Fai said as he crossed to a sofa and sat down, pulling out a cheque book and looking at Haru with his pen poised.

"You will pay any price I ask?" Haru asked as he turned away from Naru and Masako, who were just as stunned as Mai. Mai looked to the doorway as an out of breath John returned, not seeming surprised by Fai's presence in the least. _John…did he…_ Mai wondered as the exorcist smiled wearily.

"Of course! Mai is family; I can't let you have her." Fai replied, lowering the pen to the page and waiting patiently. "Well? Name your price." He added as the silence began to stretch. All Mai could hear was the almost deafening tick of the clock as he waited for Haru to speak; the atmosphere was so heavy. She caught Naru's eye across the room, watching as he sized up Haru from the back, wondering if he'd be able to get close enough to tackle him before the gun swung back.

"Ten million yen." Haru named off the top of his head, which seemed rather tame in Fai's opinion. Mai looked stunned as she looked at the blonde; there was no way he'd pay that much money for her.

"Is that all?" Fai asked in genuine surprise, his gaze softening as he caught Mai's stunned expression. _All? That's ten million yen! What is he thinking? Has he gone crazy?_ Mai wondered as her cheeks heated, quite certain that that amount of money would ruin his estate.

"That and the house." Haru replied, half expecting Fai to argue. Ten million yen was a large fortune; more than enough on top of his other black market businesses that he could live like a king for the rest of his life. The blonde looked thoughtful, as if considering it as he looked at Mai. The honey haired girl still couldn't believe what was happening as she caught Fai's eye again.

"How about I name it twenty million, and you leave the house?" Fai offered, writing the numbers as he received a nod. He scribbled his neatly curled signature and tore off the cheque, getting to his feet and holding it out to complete the deal. _Really? This is it? It's over?_

"What are you going to do about a guardian?" Haru asked as he took the cheque, not particularly caring either way. He'd got more than he'd dreamed of out of the deal. At best he'd been expecting an extra worker and a house to sell off. Mai watched, feeling sick as her uncle caressed the cheque in his hands, his fingers running over the seals and ink. It was definitely genuine.

"I'd adopt her." Lin stated firmly, his hand squeezing Mai's shoulder gently. Mai looked up at the Chinese man with pink cheeks; of all the people she'd imagined might offer something like that she'd never imagined Lin would be one of them. _Lin-san…_ Mai thought, her cheeks heating as his dark gaze shifted to look down at her warmly.

"I would too!" Ayako added firmly from her place beside Monk-san.

"Or me." Monk-san managed weakly, a relieved Ayako quickly hushing him as she laid a gentle hand on his forehead, the other still firmly pressing the sleeve to his wound. Feeling the pressure now that he was awake, the monk let out a small pained moan, trying not to shift beneath Ayako's touch.

"She's always welcome at the church." John offered from his place in the doorway, having caught his breath a little. Mai looked between her friends, feeling her heart ready to burst with gratitude. Across the room Naru caught her eye and smiled softly, though it was a fleeting expression as he returned his attention to Haru.

"I'd ask my father too." Masako piped up as Hideki released her.

"And of course I too am family." Fai added finally. "Now I suggest you leave, and leave quickly. You may have bought the police in Kyoto, but I have many friends in the Tokyo police, and as for the chief…he owes me a few favours." Fai warned politely, his face as charming as usual, but his voice held a deadly undertone, one that shook Haru to the core. It was like watching two tigers interact. They looked at each other, Fai smiling a little as he tilted his head, not in the least concerned. Haru was in Fai's territory now, and he knew it.

"Fine." Haru replied stiffly as he broke eye contact. "Shinta; we're leaving." He called, forgetting for a moment that he had shot Shinta. He put the gun in his pocket and headed for the open door, John stepping back warily as the older man approached.

"He's dead." Mai said quietly, not looking at her uncle as he passed.

"Good riddance…He was useless anyway." Haru replied as he stepped past Ayako, whose eyes widened at that. If the situation had been different she would have given him a piece of her mind; after Shinta had helped to save his life he was just considered useless.

"How could you? He was your brother! He stayed with you all this time, and you killed him just like that! Why?" Mai cried as she looked up at her uncle, who looked down at her with a smirk. Mai felt Lin's hand on her shoulder tighten protectively as Haru stared down at her coldly, her body quivering as she stared back like a deer in headlights. He really didn't care at all. Her reaction amused him.

"He was of no more use to me. If he doesn't obey me, I have no need for him." Haru replied simply before leaving, tears trickling down Mai's cheeks. _But…he tried so hard…He did all this to please Haru, and this is what he got in return? It's not fair! Why does he get to go unpunished?_ Mai thought, gasping as she heard a car horn, screeching tyres and a gunshot. Mai got shakily to her feet and, with Lin's help, went to the window, looking down at the chaos outside. A sleek black car had hit Haru. Its window had a bullet hole in the passenger's side, but it seemed the people inside had escaped unscathed as they stood by the open doors of the car. Blood streaked the road where Haru lay, the gun about a foot away. _Is he…dead?_ She wondered as Fai came to stand beside her, his blue eyes almost emotionless as he looked down at the street below.

"He won't come for you again Mai." He assured as he looked down unsmiling. _Fai…you…did you?_ She wondered as she looked down again, seeing the ambulance arrive. John hurried down to guide them up. "Well, goodbye Mai. I hope you will come and visit from time to time." Fai added charmingly as he left with a warm smile. _I really think he did._ She thought as she watched Fai pass the driver of the black car and slip something into his hand before he got into a waiting limousine.


	15. Epilogue

The next day Mai found herself sitting in Monk-san's hospital room, where he sat leaning back casually, his chest bandaged beneath his night shirt while Ayako scribbled on his bed chart wearing a suit with a white lab coat over the top. Mai had never seen the older woman in her work clothes; it was certainly different seeing her as a doctor rather than a priestess.

"How are you?" Mai asked as she sat in the chair and leaned on the bed, looking up at the monk. Monk-san, who had been looking up at the ceiling boredly, shifted his gaze to the teen assuringly.

"Never better." He replied with a grin, which quickly turned to a grimace as Ayako squeezed his shoulder. She squeezed tightly in warning. The monk had been pushing to get out of the hospital since he'd arrived.

"He'll be out in a few days, and not before." Ayako replied, giving Monk-san a firm look as Lin and Naru entered. Seeing the newcomers Ayako drew back to greet them. Monk-san leaned forward as Ayako was conveying the monk's condition to Lin.

"I tried to walk out earlier." Monk-san confessed quietly to Mai, who gave him a stern look. "I know-I know; I should wait to heal up." The older man sighed boredly as he shifted with a grimace. Mai could well understand the boredom; she'd been bored herself stuck in the hospital for days on end. Luckily it seemed the priestess also understood Monk-san, since Mai could see a handheld computer game and a small stack of magazines on the bedside drawers.

"You're lucky nothing vital was hit!" Ayako snapped as she put the chart back and sat on the edge of the bed, blushing as Monk-san put his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. He'd pulled himself into a sitting position, hiding his grimace in Ayako's throat as he trailed his lips across the skin affectionately.

"I know! You've been reminding me all morning." He replied as he drew back a little.

"Stop that!" Ayako ordered, nudging him away, causing another grimace as he fell back against the pillows once more; giving her a somewhat wounded look. "Let's get to it. I think I should take Mai. I have the space, she's already settled at my place and I'm a woman. There are certain things only women can understand." Ayako piped up, the men in the room blanching at that final remark while Mai blushed a little. It really wasn't something she should be embarrassed about, but Ayako was right. There were just some things it was better to talk to another woman about.

"I teed to agree with Ayako, but what should we do about the house? Haru is dead, so it automatically goes to the state until Mai is eighteen." Lin replied as he pulled out the adoption forms he had acquired and looked through them for the fifteenth time. The papers were definitely all there, and all in order. Mai looked up as Naru appeared at her shoulder, leaning back in her seat so that they were a little closer.

"Um…If it's okay I'd like to get rid of it." Mai replied as she thought about walking through those doors again; seeing everything as it was before, but knowing she was alone and her father was never coming home. It would be sad. She felt Naru's hand against her back and looked up; though he wasn't looking at her she could see the faintest colour in his cheeks and knew he was thinking about her.

"Well…that will be something to think about in a couple of years, okay Mai? Just leave it in state hands for now…" Ayako suggested warmly as she looked across at Mai supportively, like the older sister Mai had come to view her as. "For now let's just sort out where you'll live until then, okay? Who do you want to stay with?" She asked more seriously. _Well, Ayako is the best option; Monk-san will be around, I'll have someone to talk to about…girl things…and…Naru can visit._ She thought, blushing as she remembered how elated she had felt when Naru had proposed to her.

"I'll stay with Ayako for now if that's alright, but I don't want to be any trouble!" She added quickly, the redhead giving her an amused look. She'd known Mai would reply with something like that no matter who she chose.

"Don't be silly Mai, I offered to take you; besides, you're already moved in. It would be a shame to get Houshou to move everything again, right?" Ayako replied with a sweet smile at Monk-san, who glared at her childishly, getting a laugh from both Mai and Ayako.

"Alight; Lin has the papers, you can sign them later. Mai; we should get back to the office. We have a case." Naru said as Lin handed the papers to Ayako, who took them and began flicking through them as she sat on the end of the bed. "Monk-san, we hope you'll be well enough to join us later." He added as they left, Ayako getting to her feet and following. In the room Monk-san sighed as he grabbed his game and flicked the on switch. _Alone again! I can't wait to get out of here…_

"I'll wait at the car." Lin said as he went ahead with a small bow.

"I have to get back to work too." Ayako added as she walked off into the hospital, soon lost among the crowd of people bustling about the waiting reception. Mai was about to follow Lin when Naru grabbed her wrist and pulled her back gently.

"Mai…In the office yesterday…" He began awkwardly, the honey haired girl feeling her stomach plummet lightly. _I had a feeling something like this might be coming…_ She thought as she put on a somewhat forced sheepish smile, suddenly feeling jittery as she looked at the nervous ebony haired boy.

"It's okay…I understand. You were just saying that to save me, and I appreciate it, but I won't hold you to it, don't worry!" Mai replied with sheepish assurance, feeling more than a little disappointed as she turned to walk away, but Naru pulled her back again. Mai felt her cheeks heat as she was tugged back to face him, surprised to see a rare shade of pink on his pale cheeks as well.

"No; that's not it! Well, it is, but…" He stumbled awkwardly, acting very unlike himself. Naru was never lost for words. _What's he trying to say?_ Mai wondered, looking at him perplexed as he pulled something out of his pocket and placed it in her hand, leaning close to her ear. "I was being serious." He whispered as he took his hand away, leaving a small diamond ring in her hand. Mai looked down at it blushing, looking up at Naru, who was obviously awaiting her answer. _Oh god not now!_ She thought as tears slid down her cheeks, eliciting a warm smile from Naru as he reached up and wiped her tears away. Mai reached up and took his hand with a nod, allowing him to slip the ring onto her finger.

"We'll wait a couple of years…right?" Mai said as they began walking towards the front of the hospital, her hand brushing his nervously as they headed down the corridor. Taking the gentle hint, Mai felt Naru's fingers slowly entwine with hers until he had a gentle but firm grip on her hand.

"It only makes sense to wait. In a couple of years the business should have grown to a reasonable size." Naru reasoned as they passed people by in the corridor. "And of course you'll be a legal adult." He added, though he could hardly talk. He was only just an adult by his homeland's standards. Which was another thing he'd need to sort out; he couldn't marry without introducing Mai to his parents first.

"Good, because I really don't want to rush into things…you know?" She said nervously as they reached the door. Naru opened the door and allowed Mai to walk out ahead of him, quickly following and getting a grip on her slim wrist.

"I never rush into things." Naru replied with a small purr as he pulled Mai into his arms and kissed her. Mai closed her eyes and leaned into the kiss, slightly disappointed as Naru drew back before leaning to her ear, his breath warm on her throat. "I love you Mai." He whispered before walked off ahead, leaving Mai standing stunned in front of the doors. _He said it…He actually said 'I love you'…_ She thought, a blush warming her cheeks as her heart raced. Naru turned back, his cheeks still slightly pink from the admission.

"Are you going to block the door all day or come back to the office?" He asked in his usual business tone, his narcissist mask firmly back in place. Mai gasped and ran to catch up, smiling warmly as she took Naru's arm and walked to the van. Lin had pulled up beside the hospital to wait, his eyes warm as he watched the couple heading his way.

"So when did this case come in?" Mai asked as they approached the van, Naru reaching up and pulling the door open before climbing up. Mai watched the older teen settle on the middle seat as he leaned towards her.

"I told you at Ayako's we had a case." Naru replied as he offered her his hand. Putting her foot on the lower step, Mai allowed Naru to pull her up so that she could sit by the window.

"You mean…my Uncles weren't the clients?" Mai asked in confusion as she reached around for her seatbelt, Naru doing the same in the seat beside her as Lin looked in the rear-view mirror ready to pull away.

"No; I had to reschedule the appointment after what happened. Come on; let's go." Naru said as he leaned back in his seat and took a file from the dashboard. Mai smiled and leaned on his shoulder, allowing her eyes to close as Lin pulled away to head back to SPR.


End file.
